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As hockey fans, we've seen it hundreds of times before:  A brutal headshot makes headlines on ESPN.com and gets featured on SportsCenter, or a fight that leaves a player unconscious is condemned between the pages of Sports Illustrated.  Then, suddenly, hundreds of magazines and newspapers jump all over the ensuing coverage, offering their negative takes on the situation and ramming their worthless opinions down the throats of the public. But ...

Yes, we've all heard the stories of Tim Thomas' meteoric rise from the minor leagues, to Finland, to theá NHL, and back to Finland, before finally becoming a full-time member of the Boston Bruins in 2005-06.á We've all heard how he, rather suddenly, went from trying to crack an NHL roster to topping theáleague by winning the Vezina trophy last season.For a while now, it seems the nation has been ...

The Jackets have long had a history of struggling on the road.  The culmination of this problem came in the 2007-2008 season, when their 14-22-5 away mark was one of the worst in the league and was most certainly the main factor the Jackets missed the playoffs that year (they held a decent 20-14-7 mark at home). Meanwhile, their small yet promising improvement to 16-18-7 on the road last ...

PLEASE NOTE:  The following article is entirely a work of fiction.  The player quotes used in the following article were created entirely by the author, and in no way should they be mistaken for real quotes.  All views and opinions expressed within are solely the viewpoint of the author, and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Ottawa Senators or the National Hockey League.   In an unfortunate occurrence for ...

Taking a look at some of the stats for the Columbus Blue Jackets through the twenty-game mark, they seem to indicate the Jackets are vastly improved, even from last season, in which they made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history:á They're on par for 48 wins, seven more than last year's playoff team, Rick Nash is on an early-season roll, and they're scoring goals with consistency. ...

Playing on consistently bad teams can sometimes have its advantages.á For example, if you are a poor player, or just an otherwise good player having an off season, chances are you will face less scrutiny if everyone else around you is playing equally bad. On the flipside, if you are a good player playing on disappointing teams, that generally makes you stand out all the more, thus increasing your ...

The plan was simple for Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson in the offseason:á Hire a goaltender who would serve as a competent backup to rookie standout Steve Mason. Sometimes even the best-laid plans go awry. Now Mathieu Garon should be the go-to guy in Columbus, following his solid performance in net against the Anaheim Ducks last night, a game that saw Garon stop 32 of the ...

It's been put off long enough.á It's now time for Steve Mason to be held accountable for the underwhelming start to the season. The Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender is finally getting a taste of what it's like to have his confidence shaken, and it's costing his team.á Mason cruised through his inaugural season, winning the Calder trophy (awarded to the league's best rookie), being nominated for the Vezina (awarded ...

PLEASE NOTE: The following article is entirely a work of fiction. The player quotes used in the following article were created entirely by the author, and in no way should they be mistaken for real quotes. All views and opinions expressed within are solely the viewpoint of the author, and do not reflect the views or opinions of ESPN, or the National Hockey League. The sport of hockey was presented to its ...

PLEASE NOTE:á The following article is entirely a work of fiction.á The player quotes used in the following article were created entirely by the author, and in no way should they be mistaken for real quotes.á All views and opinions expressed within are solely the viewpoint of the author, and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Carolina Hurricanes or the National Hockey League. ------ Putting to rest the belief ...