#67
Biscuits and Breezers
Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! I have been so wrapped up with the NHL playoffs that I haven't had that much time to write unfortunately! Well now I have had the chance to write and now I finally am! In this blog I will be talking about the NHL playoffs, some NAHL news, NHL trophy finalists, and I have an interview with Missoula Maulers Alumni and Botkyrka Swedish Defenseman Oscar Bjorkander. Let's start off with the NHL playoffs shall we? In a very action packed round 1, many unexpected match ups took a turn for the unexpected road. Most of the teams that I picked personally to move on did, but others unfortunately didn't. One of the things I was happiest about in round 1 was the replacement of Marc-Andre Fleury with Tomas Vokoun. The Penguins are expected to win the Stanley Cup this year but all the biscuits Fleury was letting in, it wasn't supporting that cause at all. During the regular season he was almost a brick wall and he definitely got the Penguins to the playoffs. Then it was time to relieve him on an almost high note and continue on with another net minder who is fresh and ready to go. What I can't believe still is that the San Jose Sharks swept the Canucks. Now I know that the Canucks aren't the best team in the NHL but they certainly made a good run in the regular season. In round 1, San Jose swept Vancouver 4-0, Penguins won against the Islanders 4-2, Ottawa beat Montreal 4-1, Rangers beat the Capitals 4-3, Boston eliminated Toronto 4-3, Minnesota was eliminated by Chicago 4-1, Detroit triumphed over Anaheim 4-3, and L.A. beat St. Louis 4-2. Round 2 should be very interesting and equally intense. We will have to wait and see what happens.
Now we have the NAHL news. Most of the hockey audience out there should be familiar with the Wenatchee Wild located in Wenatchee, Washington. They were a very high skilled team who was a prominent team in the north west. In the 2013-2014 season, the team will no longer be the Wild or in Wenatchee for that matter. They are relocating to Hidalgo, Texas to become the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. This announcement came one day after the Wild lost in the Robertson Cup championship game to Amarillo and five days before the contract to use the Town Toyota Center expired. Among other reasons, one of the reasons why they left was cost. To play teams in Texas, it would be less expensive to play there than to travel and fly to play other teams in the league. There are still talks of a BCHL team filling Wenatchee's spot in the arena, but the application for the team has not been approved by Hockey Canada yet. There will be a meeting on May 24-26th to discuss the decision on whether to approve or disapprove this idea. Hopefully they get a team moved in there because Wenatchee is definitely an expanding hockey community and any higher level team would be a great asset to them.
Since that there are many finalists for each award, I will name the award put the finalists below.
James Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman): Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins, P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens, and Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild
Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender): Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks, and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, and John Tavares of the New York Islanders.
GM of the Year Award: Bob Murray of the Anaheim Ducks, Marc Bergevin of the Montreal Canadiens, and Ray Shero of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bill Masterton Trophy (Given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship to hockey): Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Josh Harding of the Minnesota Wild, and Adam McQuaid of the Boston Bruins.
Frank J. Selke Award (Given to the forward who excels in the defensive aspects of the game): Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, and Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins.
Lady Byng Trophy (Given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct while having a high style of play): Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders.
Jack Adams Award (Best Coach): Bruce Boudreau of the Anaheim Ducks, Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators.
Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Brandon Saad of the Chicago Blackhawks, Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers, and Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens.
President's Trophy (Given to the Team with the best overall points; score): Chicago Blackhawks
Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player): Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.
William M. Jennings Trophy (Given to the goaltender's' with the least amount of GAA scored in a minimum of 25 games): Corey Crawford and Ray Emery of the Chicago Blackhawks
This is all of the awards finalists I have for now! I will keep updating the award finals as the NHL Awards come closer and closer.
For the next topic, we have an interview! I finally had the chance to sit down and chat with Maulers Alumni and Botkyrka defenseman Oscar Bjorkander. In my opinion he is one of the most overlooked players in general that I know of. He is one of the many young defenseman that are chock full of skill yet go unnoticed or unsung. This tends to happen to d-men from time to time because no one really expects them to be the star players like the forwards are or even the goalies. Well that is until you reach the NHL but even then, a lot of talent can go unnoticed. Back in his home country of Sweden, Oscar has settled in to the European style of hockey that he has known for almost all of his life. Unfortunately, last season was the last year he could play junior hockey and instead of dwindling out, he ended with an explosion. With 25 points in 48 games played, Bjorkander showed the AWHL that he would be known and that he wasn't going back across the pond without a good show in hand. The beginning of the 2011-2012 season started off a little slow for him as usual with new or international players. As the season progressed though, he started to kick things up a notch little by little. I remember from all the games I went to last year, something happened in the middle season that just changed in him. Instead of being this quick witted and fast skating blue liner, he now was a quick witted, fast skating, play making, goal scoring blue liner. He went through a transformation that isn't seen very often. Let me tell you, he left a huge impression of the team and the fans. When I am standing in lines for concessions at games or in the stands I will hear people critically comparing the new defenseman to him. Zootown needed a Swede to help them get out of their rut and he gave back more than anything they could have ever hoped for. The first question for Oscar was, "How do you think your season went this year?" He responded, "Umm it was different going back to Sweden again and playing with the big ice and everything. I had some ups and downs. The first part of the season was real good. I got a lot of ice time especially on power plays and stuff like that but our team was struggling a little bit during the season so a lot of players like lost confidence and so did I. But um I think we were last in our division just before Christmas but um after that we managed to pick it up and I think we won like I wanna say 14 games out of 20 so I think that is pretty good. Me personal I wasn't really happy about it." The next question in the interview was, "How did you change your game back from the American/US/North American style to the European style? I know that they are very different." Bjorkander answered, "Ya it is really different. I think that European style is better for me because I am not really a physical player. I don't know it really wasn't that hard adjusting. I pretty much played on the ice all my life so it wasn't really that different. I was just trying to make my game and ya that's pretty much it." The next question was, "I would call you an energy type defenseman. You like to make plays, you like to connect with the team. Would you agree with that?" He said, "I definitely like to connect with the team. I like to know the rush and jump in and try to put up some points there. I would could agree with you on that." I then asked, "What do you think your favorite and/or strongest point is as a defenseman?" He answered, "I think I am a pretty good skater. You know moving my feet and trying to keep up with my points but I think that would be it. My positioning can be a little bit off sometimes. That is something I can work on." "I know you aged out of juniors last year, so what's your future plan for ice hockey?" Oscar replied, "I don't really have a plan, just work as hard as I can and try to be as good as I can. I don't really have a specific goal for it, just wanna see how far it can take me." I then asked, "What did you learn most or what was your favorite experience during your stay in Missoula or in the US in general?" He said, "I mean I have to say the language here. It was hard for me the first time. Just getting to know all the people here but especially learning the style of playing because it was so different and a lot more physical than I was used to. The hockey was so different I was trying to still play my game but add a little bit more physical style to it. But ya I wanna definitely say the language was the hardest part. I would really like to learn a little bit of the language." The next question I had was, "What do you think your success was this season or last season?" "I wasn't really that successful as I was hoping to be here. When I just got here I was really excited to be here, to play here. I wasn't really that successful as I was hoping to be. I was hoping to put up a little bit more points and helping out the team a little bit more. I am kind of a fired up player and I really tried to get into that and helping out my team mates and trying to get them up a little bit. I think my success is still my skating. I am able to move my feet and stuff like that so that is something I try to do." "Do you think you will coach any after you are done playing hockey?" He said," That's actually something I have been thinking about, coaching. Oh definitely that would be fun. Actually I have been thinking about more you know a GM. Putting teams together. That would be something I would really be impressed by. A coach ya definitely I think it would be fun. I think you have to start on a lower level with the small guys and work your way up but that is something I would do." "Who do you think will win the Stanley Cup?" "Oh definitely the Penguins. I am always here for the Penguins. I think they have a strong team and picked up some good guys here. Ya definitely." I then said, "Who would you say you style your play after?" Oscar then said, " I always try to play after Letang. I really like that guy, he is amazing you know. Skating, wise with the puck, he is pretty much strong in all areas. That is the guy I am trying to become and wanna follow." I asked, "What do you like to do in the off season and how do you stay in condition?" Bjorkander answered, "Just after the season I get a couple of weeks off maybe to see my friends and do something I like to do. But after that you just have to hit it hard. I usually work out by myself. That's pretty much how I like it. Just working hard everyday and trying to get better." "What age did you start playing hockey at?" Oscar said, "I wanna say 5, 5 or 6 maybe. First time I stepped on the ice. I also played soccer until I was 12 I think. But then I had to choose and hockey was a lot more fun so I took that one." "How has your style evolved from when you were younger until now?" He answered back, "It's hard to say I guess. When I was younger I was a little bit more physical. But I try to work a lot more on my skating than to be a moving defenseman. I wanna say skating wise. That would be the biggest difference from when I was younger. I think that if you have the skating in so many things come with it. If you have speed, you are able to meet a guy. You don't have to be as good as some with the hands and everything like that and so I think that is what you have to work hardest on." The last question in the interview was, "Would you like to play in the US again? Would you play college hockey?" "Oh ya definitely, that would be a fun experience to get to play here again. I haven't really gotten that opportunity yet. I think a lot about playing college but there are some many things to get prepared for, for school and I wasn't really sure what I was going to study so I choose to go back to Europe instead. I am happy with my choice right now. I don't think I am going to play college hockey ever. I think I am going to try and play in the pro league back in Europe. I am thinking about moving to another country like Germany or Switzerland or something like that. Somewhere where I really like. If I move back here to the states and play, it is probably going to be another league other than college." Thank you Oscar for the interview! It was great to finally get the chance to have it. As you can tell by his answers, he has a full potential in European hockey and intends to carry that out as long as he can. Hopefully he can get on a better, higher level team before next season so he can continue with his course. Good luck with everything in your hockey career and before long you can get on those upper level teams that you need to be on! (Credit to Oscar Bjorkander and jpsphotos.net for the pictures)
Now we have the NAHL news. Most of the hockey audience out there should be familiar with the Wenatchee Wild located in Wenatchee, Washington. They were a very high skilled team who was a prominent team in the north west. In the 2013-2014 season, the team will no longer be the Wild or in Wenatchee for that matter. They are relocating to Hidalgo, Texas to become the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. This announcement came one day after the Wild lost in the Robertson Cup championship game to Amarillo and five days before the contract to use the Town Toyota Center expired. Among other reasons, one of the reasons why they left was cost. To play teams in Texas, it would be less expensive to play there than to travel and fly to play other teams in the league. There are still talks of a BCHL team filling Wenatchee's spot in the arena, but the application for the team has not been approved by Hockey Canada yet. There will be a meeting on May 24-26th to discuss the decision on whether to approve or disapprove this idea. Hopefully they get a team moved in there because Wenatchee is definitely an expanding hockey community and any higher level team would be a great asset to them.
Since that there are many finalists for each award, I will name the award put the finalists below.
James Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman): Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins, P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens, and Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild
Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender): Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks, and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, and John Tavares of the New York Islanders.
GM of the Year Award: Bob Murray of the Anaheim Ducks, Marc Bergevin of the Montreal Canadiens, and Ray Shero of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bill Masterton Trophy (Given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship to hockey): Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Josh Harding of the Minnesota Wild, and Adam McQuaid of the Boston Bruins.
Frank J. Selke Award (Given to the forward who excels in the defensive aspects of the game): Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, and Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins.
Lady Byng Trophy (Given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct while having a high style of play): Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders.
Jack Adams Award (Best Coach): Bruce Boudreau of the Anaheim Ducks, Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Paul MacLean of the Ottawa Senators.
Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year): Brandon Saad of the Chicago Blackhawks, Jonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers, and Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens.
President's Trophy (Given to the Team with the best overall points; score): Chicago Blackhawks
Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player): Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.
William M. Jennings Trophy (Given to the goaltender's' with the least amount of GAA scored in a minimum of 25 games): Corey Crawford and Ray Emery of the Chicago Blackhawks
This is all of the awards finalists I have for now! I will keep updating the award finals as the NHL Awards come closer and closer.
For the next topic, we have an interview! I finally had the chance to sit down and chat with Maulers Alumni and Botkyrka defenseman Oscar Bjorkander. In my opinion he is one of the most overlooked players in general that I know of. He is one of the many young defenseman that are chock full of skill yet go unnoticed or unsung. This tends to happen to d-men from time to time because no one really expects them to be the star players like the forwards are or even the goalies. Well that is until you reach the NHL but even then, a lot of talent can go unnoticed. Back in his home country of Sweden, Oscar has settled in to the European style of hockey that he has known for almost all of his life. Unfortunately, last season was the last year he could play junior hockey and instead of dwindling out, he ended with an explosion. With 25 points in 48 games played, Bjorkander showed the AWHL that he would be known and that he wasn't going back across the pond without a good show in hand. The beginning of the 2011-2012 season started off a little slow for him as usual with new or international players. As the season progressed though, he started to kick things up a notch little by little. I remember from all the games I went to last year, something happened in the middle season that just changed in him. Instead of being this quick witted and fast skating blue liner, he now was a quick witted, fast skating, play making, goal scoring blue liner. He went through a transformation that isn't seen very often. Let me tell you, he left a huge impression of the team and the fans. When I am standing in lines for concessions at games or in the stands I will hear people critically comparing the new defenseman to him. Zootown needed a Swede to help them get out of their rut and he gave back more than anything they could have ever hoped for. The first question for Oscar was, "How do you think your season went this year?" He responded, "Umm it was different going back to Sweden again and playing with the big ice and everything. I had some ups and downs. The first part of the season was real good. I got a lot of ice time especially on power plays and stuff like that but our team was struggling a little bit during the season so a lot of players like lost confidence and so did I. But um I think we were last in our division just before Christmas but um after that we managed to pick it up and I think we won like I wanna say 14 games out of 20 so I think that is pretty good. Me personal I wasn't really happy about it." The next question in the interview was, "How did you change your game back from the American/US/North American style to the European style? I know that they are very different." Bjorkander answered, "Ya it is really different. I think that European style is better for me because I am not really a physical player. I don't know it really wasn't that hard adjusting. I pretty much played on the ice all my life so it wasn't really that different. I was just trying to make my game and ya that's pretty much it." The next question was, "I would call you an energy type defenseman. You like to make plays, you like to connect with the team. Would you agree with that?" He said, "I definitely like to connect with the team. I like to know the rush and jump in and try to put up some points there. I would could agree with you on that." I then asked, "What do you think your favorite and/or strongest point is as a defenseman?" He answered, "I think I am a pretty good skater. You know moving my feet and trying to keep up with my points but I think that would be it. My positioning can be a little bit off sometimes. That is something I can work on." "I know you aged out of juniors last year, so what's your future plan for ice hockey?" Oscar replied, "I don't really have a plan, just work as hard as I can and try to be as good as I can. I don't really have a specific goal for it, just wanna see how far it can take me." I then asked, "What did you learn most or what was your favorite experience during your stay in Missoula or in the US in general?" He said, "I mean I have to say the language here. It was hard for me the first time. Just getting to know all the people here but especially learning the style of playing because it was so different and a lot more physical than I was used to. The hockey was so different I was trying to still play my game but add a little bit more physical style to it. But ya I wanna definitely say the language was the hardest part. I would really like to learn a little bit of the language." The next question I had was, "What do you think your success was this season or last season?" "I wasn't really that successful as I was hoping to be here. When I just got here I was really excited to be here, to play here. I wasn't really that successful as I was hoping to be. I was hoping to put up a little bit more points and helping out the team a little bit more. I am kind of a fired up player and I really tried to get into that and helping out my team mates and trying to get them up a little bit. I think my success is still my skating. I am able to move my feet and stuff like that so that is something I try to do." "Do you think you will coach any after you are done playing hockey?" He said," That's actually something I have been thinking about, coaching. Oh definitely that would be fun. Actually I have been thinking about more you know a GM. Putting teams together. That would be something I would really be impressed by. A coach ya definitely I think it would be fun. I think you have to start on a lower level with the small guys and work your way up but that is something I would do." "Who do you think will win the Stanley Cup?" "Oh definitely the Penguins. I am always here for the Penguins. I think they have a strong team and picked up some good guys here. Ya definitely." I then said, "Who would you say you style your play after?" Oscar then said, " I always try to play after Letang. I really like that guy, he is amazing you know. Skating, wise with the puck, he is pretty much strong in all areas. That is the guy I am trying to become and wanna follow." I asked, "What do you like to do in the off season and how do you stay in condition?" Bjorkander answered, "Just after the season I get a couple of weeks off maybe to see my friends and do something I like to do. But after that you just have to hit it hard. I usually work out by myself. That's pretty much how I like it. Just working hard everyday and trying to get better." "What age did you start playing hockey at?" Oscar said, "I wanna say 5, 5 or 6 maybe. First time I stepped on the ice. I also played soccer until I was 12 I think. But then I had to choose and hockey was a lot more fun so I took that one." "How has your style evolved from when you were younger until now?" He answered back, "It's hard to say I guess. When I was younger I was a little bit more physical. But I try to work a lot more on my skating than to be a moving defenseman. I wanna say skating wise. That would be the biggest difference from when I was younger. I think that if you have the skating in so many things come with it. If you have speed, you are able to meet a guy. You don't have to be as good as some with the hands and everything like that and so I think that is what you have to work hardest on." The last question in the interview was, "Would you like to play in the US again? Would you play college hockey?" "Oh ya definitely, that would be a fun experience to get to play here again. I haven't really gotten that opportunity yet. I think a lot about playing college but there are some many things to get prepared for, for school and I wasn't really sure what I was going to study so I choose to go back to Europe instead. I am happy with my choice right now. I don't think I am going to play college hockey ever. I think I am going to try and play in the pro league back in Europe. I am thinking about moving to another country like Germany or Switzerland or something like that. Somewhere where I really like. If I move back here to the states and play, it is probably going to be another league other than college." Thank you Oscar for the interview! It was great to finally get the chance to have it. As you can tell by his answers, he has a full potential in European hockey and intends to carry that out as long as he can. Hopefully he can get on a better, higher level team before next season so he can continue with his course. Good luck with everything in your hockey career and before long you can get on those upper level teams that you need to be on! (Credit to Oscar Bjorkander and jpsphotos.net for the pictures)
We have known come to the "Players of Today" segment of the blog! For the NHL Pick we have St. Louis Blues right wing T.J. Oshie. For the goalie pick we have HV71 J20 SuperElit goalie Viktor Kokman. For the European pick we have Frolunda J20 SuprElit center/winger Gustav Rydahl.
T.J. is 5 ft 11 in, 189 lbs, and is from Mt. Vernon, Washington, USA. He was drafted to St. Louis 24th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. In the 2011-2012 season he had 19 goals in 80 games played, 35 assists, 54 TPs, a +/- of 15, 50 PIM, 3 Power Play goals, 1 shorthanded goal, 3 game winning goals, 188 shots on goal, and a 10.1 S%. Oshie is a very good player who moves the puck very well and is the typical young goal scorer. I think that he is a very good skater as well. He definitely learned a lot from his years up in North Dakota with the Fighting Sioux. This year he did fairly well in the playoffs. He was one of the prominent players to help boost the Blues up in their playoff games. Even though the Kings defeated them, Oshie went on to take Bronze at the IIHF World Championships. with Team USA. In my opinion he still hasn't reached his full potential in the game. I think that he could spread out a lot more than he is playing now but hey sometimes it takes a little longer for players! Good luck T.J. with the Blues and your future hockey career!
Viktor is 6 ft 2 in, 194 lbs, and is from Norrkoping, Sweden. In the 2011-2012 season he had 2.47 goals against average in 26 games played and a save percentage of .910. I think that Viktor is a very good goaltender for his age group. His butterflies are nice and clean cut, he can catch well with his glove, knows when and when not to freeze the puck, and he is very observant to the game as well. He is a very good goalie who is definitely the opposite of a sieve. I like the way he plays because he combines his large height with a good set of skills that range from the basics to the highly advanced. Sometimes goalies can be underminded which is unfortunate but in his case, he wants to make sure that every knows what he is capable of. He is strong willed and full of fire inside that net. He might occasionally slip up but luckily that doesn't happen very often. I love that he is now playing with the HV71 in the Elitserien. I think he thrive very well up there in the pros. Good luck Viktor with HV71 and with your future hockey career!
Gustav is 6 ft 3 in, 205 lbs, and is from Karlstad, Sweden. In the 2011-2012 season, he had 8 goals in 46 games played, 21 assists, 29 TPs, 50 PIMs, and a +/- of 1. He was one of the most prominent Swedish prospects in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Unfortunately he did not get drafted. Gustav has many leadership skills and has pretty good hands. His skates are quick and he can play two-way very well. He has great on-ice vision and strong with the puck. Rydahl will play the boards and isn't afraid to get in with the physical contact. All around he is a very good player who still has time to express his so called "true game." I like that he is playing in the Elitserien with Frolunda because that team will take his core skills and develop him. I think that he will try to fit in with the veterans of the team and they will teach him so much needed lessons before he can move onto the NHL. Good luck Gustav with Frolunda and with your future hockey career!
Thanks for reading another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! Every blog will be filled with updated hockey news, player reviews, and much more. Until next time remember, don't get your breezers in a bunch because hockey is always around the corner. Remember, it's always a great day for hockey and it's a lifestyle not just a sport!
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