The NHL announced the full list of players that have been picked to take part in the 2012 All-Star game. Fan voting and a penchant for trying to include at least one player from each team often leads to a few questionable players getting an invite—this year is no exception. The All-Star roster will include such stars as Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel, Vancouver Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas, Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews, Florida Panthers defenseman Brian Campbell, as well as a number of Ottawa Senators, many of whom had been voted in by the Ottawa fans. While there is no guarantee that every fan will be satisfied with all of the All-Star choices, the NHL does a good job of trying to accommodate at least one player from each NHL team,

The Toronto Maple Leafs stunned the hockey world Saturday night as, with seven regulars out of the lineup, the Blue and White throttled the Washington Capitals by a score of 7-1. The win improved the Buds overall record to 11-7-2 on the season, giving them sole possession of fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Oft-injured Tim Connolly scored his second of the season at 01:39 of the first period, giving the Maple Leafs the quick lead many suspected the team would need to compete with the offensively gifted Caps. Washington responded less than a minute later when Brooks Laich registered his third of the year at 02:30 of the first. The Maple Leafs would go ahead for good when rookie forward Matt Frattin notched his first goal of the season at 19:16 of the first. Frattin has been one

Looking back at the Washington Capitals 2009-10 and 2010-11 early playoff exits there is no way to sugar coat it—they were/are an epic fail. After winning the Presidents Trophy as the NHL’s top regular season team in 2009-10, the Capitals lost a first round matchup against the eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens. The seven game series raised a number of eyebrows both in the dressing room and with the Caps upper management—both of which demanded change for the upcoming 2010-11 season. Head coach Bruce Boudreau did his best to change the culture and the way his troops approached the game this season by asking them to play a tighter, more defensive minded style of play, which, in the minds of many, would help the Caps become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. As a result of the changes, the Capitals found themselves

With only a few more games to be played before the NHL starts it’s playoffs, there are a few teams that are emerging as the definitive favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Goaltending is often key to a teams playoffs success, that said, the Chicago Blackhawks took home Lord Stanley’s Cup last year—even with inconsistent goaltending from Antti Niemi. Power play and penalty kill success also comes into play, as does a teams ability to gel at the right time. With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the NHL’s eight most dangerous playoffs teams of 2010-11. Philadelphia Flyers: Key Stats: Current Record: 46-22-10 (102 points)—Second in Eastern Conference GF: 245 GA: 207 Diff: +38 PP: 16.4% (20th overall) PK: 83.8% (Ninth overall) Key Players: Mike Richards (F) Jeff Carter (F) Chris Pronger (D) Sergei Bobrovsky (G) The

The debate over which NHL player reins supreme received plenty of ammunition this weekend when the NHLPA and Hockey Night in Canada conducted a poll of 318 current NHL players with regards to hockey issues, coaches and their peers. Questions ranged from which rink had the best ice (Edmonton) to which coach you’d most want to play for (Dan Bylsma- Pittsburgh Penguins), but in the end, there was really only one question that mattered most- what player would you build a franchise around? The overwhelming response was none other than Sidney Crosby, who received a whopping 69% of the vote. Surprisingly, Alexander Ovechkin was a distant fourth, receiving a puzzling 2% of all votes, behind Jonathan Toews (3%), Steven Stamkos (5%) and veteran defenseman Nik Lidstrom (6%). Crosby, was also voted the toughest forward to play against , the games

With millions of fans watching in anticipation, the NHL launched it’s first ever NHL All-Star draft in Carolina last night. For many NHL fans, there were really three or four story lines. Which player would be selected first? Would the Sedin twins be forced to play against each other? Where would their favorite player land? And, of course, which player would be selected last. With Sidney Crosby out of the All-Star festivities many expected Alex Ovechkin to be selected first—which didn’t happen (congrats Steven Stamkos!). To the surprise of many, Carolina Hurricane captain Eric Staal (who would captain one of the All-Star teams) showed a ton of loyalty when he selected Hurricane teammate Cam Ward as the first overall selection. The Sedin twins would end up on separate teams, which sets up what may very well be the first time