Category Archives: Tyler Murry

Islanders Begin to Add Pieces on Day 1

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Perhaps no other team has spent so much time in the depths of the NHL’s worst over the past few years than the New York Islanders (despite the Oilers of course).  However, GM Garth Snow set out to help change that on day 1 of NHL free agency by adding winger Brad Boyes and grinder Matt Carkner.

Carkner comes to the Islanders on a 3 year deal worth $4.5 million.  The winger recorded 3 points in 29 games last season for the Senators and will come the a young Long Island club hoping to add some grit and leadership to the squad.

Boyes is of a different pedigree than Carkner and is coming off a poor season with just 23 points in 65 games for the Buffalo Sabres.  Boyes however has been known for is goal scoring ability as he posted 43 goals in the 07-08 season and 33 in the following season for the Blues.
The Islanders no doubt will continue to revamp their roster especially after the loss of set-up man PA Parenteau who will know be a member of the Colorado Avalanche.  No word yet on who will replace Parenteau on the top line with Tavares and Moulson but there are plenty of options considering the addition of Boyes and the prospect of high draft picks Ryan Strome and Nino Niederreiter getting close to being ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Follow me on twitter for all sports news and updates @Tyler_Murry

Former Bruins Land With New Teams

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With all the chaos that is July 1st of NHL free agency, numerous players that wore black & gold now find themselves in new colors.

The day began with B’s winger Benoit Pouliot signing a 1 yr $1.8 million deal with the lightning after being trade last week.  At just 25 years of age, Pouliot scored 32 points including 16 goals (both career highs) for the Bruins last season.

Joe Corvo was also on the move today and will return to Carolina on a 1 year deal.  Corvo registered 25 points in 75 games for the black & gold, despite dwindling playing time due to poor play on the back-end.  In the end, Boston’s depth on the blueline with youngsters Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton, and Matt Bartkowski left no spot in the lineup for Corvo for the 12-13 season.

And finally, rental Greg Zanon has landed with the Colorado Avalanche after recording 8 points in 56 games last season.

Follow me on twitter for all sports coverage and updates @Tyler_Murry

Why Bobby Ryan Would Look Good in Black & Gold Next Year

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It’s no secret that the B’s could use some goal scoring following their embarrassing first round exit to the seventh seeded Washington Capitals this spring.  The Black & Gold scored just 15 goals in  the duration of the seven game series and if you are doing the math that is just over 2 per game.  That is not going to cut it and Peter Chiarelli has come to realize that a change needs to be made.

The B’s are reportedly in the market for a pure 30+ goal scorer and 25 year-old winger Bobby Ryan seems to fit the bill.  Ryan recorded 31 goals and 57 points last year as a duck and has netted at least 30 goals the past four years including a career high of 35 in the 09-10 season.  Ryan has been linked to the bruins in possible trade rumors over the past few weeks and has been on his way out since the beginning of last year.  Other names swirling are Zach Parise and Rick Nash to Boston.  Out of these three Ryan is the best fit for numerous reasons. Nash’s cap hit of 7.8 million automatically makes life difficult for the cap-stricken B’s and Parise is likely to command around 7 million this offseason. Parise and Nash would likely be the highest players on the B’s, which simply is not their style.  Chiarelli loves to find the diamonds in the rough and get guys cheap hoping they will grow into stars.  This makes Ryan that much more appealing due to his reasonable cap hit of $5.1 million.  In addition Ryan is much younger at age 25 than Nash (28) and Parise (27), and will improve even more as he begins to enter his prime.

Perhaps the most underrated reason that Ryan is perfect for the bruins is his efficiency while on the ice. last season he scored 31 goals in just 18:21 time on ice.  Parise and Nash recorded 21:29 and 19:05 TOI with similar scoring results.  In Boston, Claude Julien loves to roll all four lines meaning that few players will receive large amounts of minutes.  Players therefore need to capitalize on the time they get and Ryan can do that better than anyone else in the league.

Names like David Krejci and Milan Lucic have been floating around as possible trade chips due to their poor performances last spring. The next few weeks could decide where Ryan lands and that destination could very well land him in Boston this summer.

Follow me on twitter for all sports news and updates @Tyler_Murry

Winter Classic Recap

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After months of publicity, planning, and hard-work, the teams took to the ice in hockey’s most anticipated regular season matchup.  Hockey grew up on the ponds and outdoor rinks and it was restored to its former glory on Monday at Citizens Bank Park.

The Philadelphia Flyers led by points leader Claude Giroux battled against Marian Gaborik and the Rangers on center stage.  And what a game it was.

After a stellar goaltending performance in the first period, the two teams were tied at zero after one period of play.  However two quick goals by Schenn and Giroux by the Flyers half-way into the second period gave the Flyers the upper-hand.  Shortly after, Mike Rupp netted a goal from the top of the slot to cut the lead in half.

The Flyers entered the third period up 2-1, but once again Rupp lit the lamp with his second of the game to tie things up at 2-2.  Then with just under six minutes to play, center Brad Richards scored to give the Rangers their first lead of the game.

Richards’s goal ended up being the decisive one as Lundqvist was able to stop the rest including a penalty shot by Danny Briere in the final minute of play.

it was a great outing for hockey, the fans, and both teams at play.  In fact, over 47,000 fans were present at the game and one can only look forward to next year’s Bridgestone Winter Classic that will be unveiled at the end of this season.

Off and Running

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After a slower start than any other team in recent NHL history coming off a Stanley Cup win, the Boston Bruins are poised for a record-setting year.  Since starting off a dismal 3-7-0, the Bruins have posted and astounding 22-2-1 record.  During this stretch, the B’s went through the month of November without posting a regulation loss and are currently on a 7 game win streak while sitting atop the Eastern Conference.

A big credit to the hot streak has to be the phenomenal goaltending.  Both Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas are on pace to have personal records shattered.  Thomas currently has a 1.81 GAA and a .943 S% while Rask has a 1.61 GAA and a .945 s%.  Last year Thomas was the guy, he posted big numbers and played the majority of the games.  Not so much this year as Rask continues to earn time between the posts for the Black & Gold.

“When there are not many shots, you have to find ways to stay sharp. It becomes a mental thing, but, in the end, good teams find ways to win,” said Rask after Thursday night’s win against the Phoenix Coyotes.

When Rask’s number has been called upon, he has stepped up and this versatility in net will be a vital advantage as the B’s approach the stretch run.

But the goalies can’t get all the credit for allowing just 64 goals against (Fewest in NHL).  In fact the Bruins are on pace to surpass the record set by the 03-04 New jersey Devils for the fewest goals against in a season of 164. Defense has been spectacular.  Team defense is stressed upon for the B’s and has become the team’s biggest obstacle.  Players like Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand have stepped up each with a +25 giving the Bruin’s an edge in all three zones.

“We take pride in our defensive game without the puck,” said Bruins head coach Claude Julien  ”Confidence grows with each game, and we believe 99 percent of the time, we will get great goaltending.”

The next commodity that sets the B’s apart is their depth ant ability to roll four lines.  Depth has always been a strongpoint but this year the B’s have truly stepped up their game with nine players with 20 points or more (leads NHL).  All four lines are producing and as a result the B’s currently have 121 goals for this season second only the western conference leading Chicago Blackhawks.

“We have great depth throughout the whole lineup and that helps a lot,” said assistant captain Patrice Bergeron “You can’t say enough about the importance of that, because if one or two lines are off you still have others you can rely on. You look at the teams who have won the Cup, that’s a common denominator.”

No doubt the B’s have been great so far but can they keep it up?

“However, we know there will be challenges ahead, so we have to guard against overconfidence,” noted Julien.

If the B’s can stay grounded and put their head down and play their brand of hockey there is no reason why we shouldn’t see the Bruins roster engraved into the side of Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Here We Go!

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A new season is upon us hockey fans!  The long anticipate 11-12 NHL season begins on Thursday with a fierce matchup with the new and improved Philadelphia Flyers taking on the reigning Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

There are plenty of questions and topics relating to the four teams that we cover hear at Trifecta Sports.  Will Gaborik and Richards gel well?  Will the new Flyers be able to be succesful right away? Who will step up between the pipes in Long Island? Can the Bruins repeat as Stanley Cup champs?  We don’t know the answers to these questions yet and that is the beauty behind the mystery that this season haas in store for us.  The bon-crushing hits, stellar defense, Top 10 play caliber goals, and of course the race to get into the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup.

Who knows what this year has in store, but one things for certain…..Hockey is Back!

In depth Look at Rangers First Round Pick JT Miller

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Standing in at 6’1″ 198 lbs, Miller possesses the tools to be a great NHL player.  The left-handed winger possesses good speed and hands for his size.  That being said, he can still throw his weight around and be a difficult player to handle for opposing teams.

Miller was born in East Palestine, OH,USA and has played hockey in America his entire life.  In fact the young star has committed to play for D-1 University of North Dakota for the 11-12 season.

Without a doubt Miller has plenty of talent, however he is not NHL ready.  The Rangers knew this when they selected him with the 15th overall pick this past June and plan on developing him into an NHl player within the next few years.

Bruins Ink Marchand to 2 Year Deal

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On wednesday, the Boston Bruins announced the resigning of forward Brad Marchand toa 2 year deal worth $5 million. The 5’9″ gritty winger posted 21 goals and 20 assists last year in his rookie year for the B’s.  Marchand spent the majority of the year including the stanley cup playoffs on the second line playing alongside centerman Patrice Bergeron and winger Mark Recchi.  With Recchi gone, fellow youngster Tyler Seguin will fill the spot on  that line.

No doubt both Seguin and Marchand showed a lot of promise in their rookie seasons and there is no doubt that they are poised to break out.  With this much talent, there is no shot for a sophomore slump for either of these players.

In depth look at Islanders First Round Pick Ryan Strome

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For my next few articles I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the first round picks from the four NHL teams that we cover here at Trifecta Sports.  These players drafted will be a part of the future of the NHL and perhaps next generation’s superstars.  Today we will take a look at Islanders first round pick Ryan Strome.

Lets get right to it.

Strome is average sized at 6’0″ 177 lbs, but possesses good hands and top-end speed.  Strome has spent the past two years playing in the OHL with the Niagara Ice Dogs and was able to put up 106 points last year to put him third amongst all OHL scorers.  Not to mention he was voted the most improved player this past year.  He knows how to score and how to get to the “dirty areas” on the ice to put the puck in the net.

“He skates very well and has very good speed. He’s a creative playmaker who sees the ice very well. He goes to the net and battles in front. He is able to get to rebounds and loose pucks in front. He has good hands and has scored some goals off tip-ins in front.” said NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards.

Ryan Strome’s hometown is Mississauga, ON and has spent his entire life playing in Canada. Strome was a natural from the time he first laced up the skates.

“My dad and my grandpa, who lives around the corner from me, took me to a pond in the hydro fields behind my house and threw me on skates and pretty much just told me to go” said Strome

However with all this going for him, many were shocked to see him selected 5th overall to the New York Islanders.  There are multiple reasons that he was not expected to go as high as 5th. in fact many projected he would be a mid first round selection.  This is due to the fact that he is not NHL ready quite yet and is a one year wonder.  In fact the year before he had just 13 points in 27 games.  Many teams worried that this season was a fluke.

I can assure you however that this was no fluke. After seeing some highlight reels on Strome, it is evident that he is a natural skater with great hands and hockey instincts.  He knows not only what is going on around him, but what will happen.  I’m not saying he will burst onto the scene as Jeff Skinner did last year, but with a year or two of development, Strome could be a great NHL player.

Who’s Going to Step Up for the Rangers?

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With an early first round exit after barely making the playoffs last year, the Rangers are searching for answer.  The first move the Rangers made was to sign star centerman Brad Richards.  However it won’t be Richards who will decide the Rangers fate this year.

The obvious answer as to who will step up and improve their play other than Richards, is Marian Gaborik.  Gaborik has struggled with injuries and should have a better year, but I believe these injuries will once again haunt the star winger this year.

So with Gaborik and Richards out, who’s left?  Look no further than Derek Stepan.  Stepan burst onto the scene in his rookie year this year and began the year with a bang, scoring three goals in his first game.  The big problem for the Ranger’s was supplementary scoring and Stepan can provide that and more.  The 21 year-old star put up 21 goals and 45 points last year and played many different roles.  He spent time at center, wing, on the penalty kill, and the power play.  The point is, Stepan can be used in various situation, which makes him a threat.

Most of the focus of the opposing team will be on Richards, which will allow Stepan to play under the radar in his sophomore season.  I wouldn’t worry about a “Sophomore Slump” with this young star due to his superb vision, speed, and versatility.

If Stepan is successful this year, so will the Rangers.  He played an average of 21:07 minutes per game, which leads all rookies.  They relied on him to produce and expect him to hit the score sheet quite a bit next season.