#93

Biscuits and Breezers

     Welcome back to another blog of Biscuits and Breezers! In this blog we will be talking about the usual injury updates, continuing Olympic updates, the Coyotes' Hanzal's $5k fine for high sticking, Steve Mason's contract extension, and I have a couple of great videos in store for you so sit back, relax, and enjoy! I guess we can start with the injuries!  Defenseman Grant Clitsome of the Winnipeg Jets will be out for the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery the team announced earlier this week. There were no specifics on his injury but apparently he had the operation at the Marina Spine Center in Marina del Rey. Veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray for the Anaheim Ducks will be out for the remainder of the season after successful surgery on his wrist Friday. The procedure was carried out to relieve arthritic symptoms due to a ligament tear. Kris Versteeg, forward for the Chicago Blackhawks, is likey to be OKed to play with Chicago for the match up against the Bruins on the 19th. Before he is allowed on the ice for the game, he has to pass protocols set in place after possibly receiving a concussion with a head-on collision with team mate Bryan Bickell on Friday. St. Louis' Alexander Steen has been activated off of injured reserve after missing 11 games due to a concussion. The Toronto Maple Leads have placed forwards David Clarkson and Frazer McLaren on the injured reserve list. Clarkson is out due to having a bursa sac in his elbow removed. Edmonton Oilers' forward Ales Hemsky was sent back home to Edmonton on Thursday after receiving a shot to the ankle from teammate Luke Gazdic. It isn't broken but the X-ray showed a potential micro-fracture and large amounts of swelling. It is unknown how long he will be out. The Jets have also placed Evander Kane on injured reserve after he was "diagnosed" with a deep cut in his hand and his status is unknown beyond this point. Anaheim's Jonas Hiller will sit out for a couple of days after coming down with the flu near the 15th of January. Winnipeg's Paul Postma is skating with the Jets again after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his calf about 3 months ago. He is wearing an orange no-contact jersey at practices but it could be 2 or more days before he is cleared for contact again and more after that before he is ready to play in a game. Postma is on blood thinners and is taking precautions by wearing compression stockings and avoids sitting too long without breaks while flying. Last but not least, the Colorado Avalanche's forward Erik Johnson has been declared day-to-day with a back injury, Paul Stastny has several missed games due to a leg injury, and their backup goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere is absent with a back injury as well. Get well soon everyone so hopefully you will be back in your respected line ups soon!

   As you all know the Winter Olympics are coming up soon in February and that means hockey on the largest scale. Some NHL players will head over to Sochi, Russia with their countries to represent their birthplace in hopes of a gold medal. The closer and closer we get to these games there will be more news to report on but for now there are two updates concerning your favorite NHLers. The first one is that Zdeno Chara, captain of the Boston Bruins, will be the flag bearer for Team Slovakia in the Opening Ceremonies and the Parade of Nations. Captaining the Men's team, Chara will be able to leave the team and miss Boston's final game before the February 8th Olympic break. The second is that Red Wings' star Pavel Datsyuk has been named captain for Team Russia's Men's Olympic Team. This will be his fourth Olympics and one of the first on home ice. Congratulations to you both and the excitement is continuing to grow!

   Two more final announcements! On the first hand, Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Steve Mason has signed a contract extension worth $12.3 million over a 3 year period. After being acquired last April from Columbus, Mason has moved up to the primary goaltending position for Philly. On the second hand, Phoenix Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal has been fined $5,000 for high-sticking Vancouver's David Booth. 

    Now for the videos. There were some amazing videos that came out recently really showing the spirit and passion of hockey. The first one is the line brawl between the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames on the 18th. What an amazing game that was! 2 seconds into the game, 142 penalty minutes were recorded and 8 players penalized for a massive line brawl product of both teams' 4th lines being put out as starters. The second video goes along with this as well considering it happened basically at the same time. John Tortorella, who is the new head coach for the Vancouver Canucks, is going on one of his usual rampages trying to go after the coaching staff of the Flames and completely losing it. Classic Torts move. The last one is an amazing goal by Niklas Kronwall against the Kings that you will have to see for yourself, enjoy! (All found off of YouTube)

   Now for the "Players of Today!" For the NHL pick we have Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny Dekeyser. For the goalie pick we have Prince George Cougars tendy Brett Zarowny. For the European pick we have Long Beach Bombers forward Filip Martinec.

    Danny is 6 ft 3 in, 190 lbs, and is from Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was never drafted but he was signed as an undrafted free agent on March 30th, 2013 after previously playing at Western Michigan University. Currently, he has 2 goals in 32 games played, 8 assists, 10 TPs, a +/- of 2, 16 PIMs, 1 power play goal, 1 short handed goal, 41 shots on goal, and a 4.9 S%. I thought that I would throw one of my personal favorite blue liners into the mix for a change. Even though he may not be that well known as some of the other guys in the league, Danny is a great d-man to watch. He is a gritty, hardcore player that is willing to do anything for his team. I love watching him play because unlike most players today, he isn't afraid to get a little dirty to make things happen. He works the boards like no other and his physicality is amazing. He plays with finesse paired with aggression. It is a great combination that seems to pay off more times than you would think. I hope that I am able to watch more of him in the future as he continues to grow in to the league (seeing that it was his rookie season last year) and I can't wait to see how he defines himself in a sea full of potential. Good luck Danny with the Red Wings and your future NHL career!

(Credit to Google Images-insider.espn.go.com)

   Brett is 5 ft 11 in, 196 lbs, and is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was originally ranked 29th among all of the WHL goaltenders of draft eligibility for the 2013 NHL Draft, but unfortunately he was never chosen. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 31 games played, 3.74 goals against average, and a .886 save percentage. I really enjoy watching him play because he a very good example of goaltender willing to do anything for his team. He gets batted around, rushed, and beaten but is always there when his team needs him. Brett's hockey IQ is outstanding and he pairs that well with wicked on-ice smarts. He has great butterflies and glove catches and is always willing to trust his pipes here and there. Zarowny perseveres through games no matter the outcome and is always throwing forward his best effort. I will continue to watch his career because I feel like it is bound to expand exponentially here pretty soon. Good luck Brett with the Cougars and your future hockey career!

(Credit to Google Images-goaliestore.com)

   Filip is 6 ft 1 in, 181 lbs, and is from Neratovice, Czech Republic. In the 2012-2013 season, he had 26 goals in 33 games played, 33 assists, 59 TPs, and 50 PIMs before being traded down to Long Beach to round out a 70 point season. If you ever wanted to watch an incredibly talented junior player, with out a doubt in my mind I would recommend Filip. He is a wicked sick player who knows what he is doing out on the ice. His skates are fast, his stick controls the puck well, he almost always knows where to find his team mates, and he isn't afraid to get aggressive. His hockey IQ is out of this world and it shows when he is on his shifts. If you want a goal scored or a play to be saved, put Filip out because he will get it done the most efficient way possible. He doesn't waste time to get his cards in order and always seems to know what he needs to do. Martinec relies on his team mates once in a while but all in all, he is very self reliant. Sometimes I run out of words to describe how talented this guy is. It is almost as if he pulls plays and points out of a hat. I highly recommend watching him if you ever have the time to because it will be worth it. Good luck Filip with the Bombers and your future hockey career!

(Credit to Filip Martinec)

   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!