Game of the Week - New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals (9/11 Anniversary Game)

It's once again on that somber memorial of all the people lost on 9-11 that I decide to continue simulating the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals NHL video game. I'll switch off on which team I use to control in the player 1 category and hope for the best. I've tried to get as many great goals in with some exciting highlights as best I can. It's a supplement to the "Game of the Week" feature on Twitch.tv which can be later seen by the Youtube channel community.
You can watch the broadcast here on the uploaded Youtube channel here.

Game of the Week - Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers 9/11 Memorial Game

It's been 15 years since that horrible day in September when the modern world saw the horror of an unprovoked attack changing all our lives forever. 9/11 is a day of continued mourning, but as the years go by, we are strengthening our national resolve to forge ahead to higher peaks of human fortitude.

Once again, the Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic continues it's tradition of playing out a simulated game between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals.

Last year, I chose the New York Rangers, so to mix it up, I chose to control the Capitals. Will I finally break the losing streak against the CPU and win in my last game broadcasting with EA Sports NHL 16?

Thank you to all those who serve in the military, police, firefighters, and first responders. Without your courage, we have no examples of human bravery.

RIP
Mark Bavis and Garnet "Ace" Bailey

Game of the Week (Season 2) - Minnesota Wild vs New York Islanders

For the first official game this series using EA Sports' NHL 16, I feature the New York Islanders and Minnesota Wild. I chose them because the Islanders had recently traded Michael Grabner to the Maple Leafs. It was an interesting 5-for-1 deal bringing 5 prospects away from Toronto.
But this being October, I've updated my look with some pink. I'll be in my pink practice jersey for all the games played in October this season. And while we're on the subject, why not go over to the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer website and pick some pink merch in the shop or just donate to a truly worthy cause.

Is there a team or league that you'd like me to feature during this "Game of the Week" Series? Leave a comment where appropriate.

Game of the Week - Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers

In this week's episode, we are solemnly remembering the tragedy that occurred on 9/11/01. So, I chose the teams from both cities that were affected the most. I had blogged about the tragedy once it happened that the news revealed the NHL hockey community had lost two of their own

New York and Washington D.C. might be a growing rivalry as both teams had given their all in a 7 game series in the 2014 playoffs a few seasons ago. Ovechkin needed to move on to the next round very badly and the NY Rangers desperately needed to prove that their change in roster and coach could be more fruitful.
Thanks for watching the final broadcast of the game of the week series in NHL 15. I know it was a short season, but NHL 16 is going to continue to be the upgrade in what the series needs. Let me know in the comments section how I did with the broadcast!

Penguins and Islanders Punished for Game Fighting

When the National Hockey League doles out the disciplinary actions, I am sure they hope that they are doing the right thing and making the right decisions. Now that "shots to the head" is seen as a hot-button issue, the recent debacle of a game between the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins have pushed the tolerance for such violent behaviors to it's limits.

Now the NHL's "hockey code" is once again under the scrutiny microscope as it attempts to move on from the thuggish stereotype. No matter how many times it's sliced up, the solution to the problem is never accepted by 100% of the fans or expert pundits. The punishment for the behavior on the ice between the Penguins and the frustrated Islanders will be debated for weeks, I am sure. It's often seen as arbitrary with the amount of lengthy suspensions and weather or not the suspensions actually serve as a deterrent.

In what was surely an attempt to avenge the poor showing against the Penguins back on February 2nd, the New York Islanders were geared up to fight from the opening face-off. After the game, New York was served with lengthy suspension as well as a walet-warping fine.

The NHL suspended New York Islanders forwards Trevor Gillies for nine games and Matt Martin for four while slapping the club with a US$100,000 fine late Saturday night for their actions in a fight-filled win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

What was balanced out in this scenario, the Pittsburgh Penguins also were wrist slapped by suspending enforcer Eric Goddard 10 games for leaving the bench during a fight to join in. There is no real controversy here as the punishment doled out by the discipline arm of the NHL seems they were trying to be fair and consistent with enforcing the rules as they understand them.

[Via: Rogers Sportsnet]

Nabokov Gets Picked Up By Islanders on Way To Motor City.

Believing that he would sign with a contending team, the once premier goalie in the NHL, Nabokov, has been picked up by the New York Islanders off waivers because since he played this year in the KHL Russian league. However, not going to the team he wanted, created a bit of a stir within the League and consequently debated through the continent-wide media. And according to the AP sources, Nabokov did not deal well with the news.

Snow said when he identified himself on the phone, Nabokov immediately hung up.

Can you really blame GM Garth Snow for trying? His fan base is increasingly growing upset at the losing seasons and status of the Lighthouse Project. If the attempt at acquiring a goaltender to replace underachieving Rick DiPietro could spark some hope, then why not use the waiver rules to the fullest advantage.

Now, the Islanders have 2 options with Nabokov. They can suspend him for the rest of the season leaving Nabokov the contractual obligation to play the full season next year. Or the Isles can use the newly acquired goalie as trade bait back to the Red Wings and possibly pick up some other players instead.

"I'm not going to speculate," Snow said. "I'm looking forward to having him in an Islanders uniform. We can cross those bridges when we get there. I'm not there yet."

Islanders owner Charles Wang hinted that the Islanders aren't likely to just cut ties with Nabokov and allow him to go back on the waiver wire.

Nabokov's position is that he really doesn't want to treat the Islanders in such public fashion.

Nabokov told ESPN.com on Sunday that his decision to spurn the Islanders is not personal. He merely intended to hook on with a title-contending team and not an also-ran club such as the Islanders, who own the third-fewest points in the NHL.

"I think I'm going to stay home for now, I'm sticking with my decision," Nabokov said Sunday. "It's nothing against the Islanders and their organization. It's nothing to do with that. It's just that I'm at the point in my career where I want to help a team win in the playoffs. I don't see how I could help the Islanders or what I could do for them. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And I hope they understand that.

Nabokov was once considered a premier goaltender in the NHL and gained most notoriety with the Sharks playoff runs. However, once it was known that Nabokov was asking for too much, NHL General Managers have wained on him considering his inability to take a team to the Stanley Cup Finals.

A native of Kazakhstan, Nabokov was considered one of the top goaltenders on the market after finishing the 2009-10 season with a 44-16-10 record, 2.43 goals-against average and three shutouts for San Jose.

[Via: MLive.com & Vancouver Sun]

Rangers Rookie Scores Hat Trick in Debut Game

People usually remember their first day at work at their new job, so it's even easier when the first day becomes a historic event of a lifetime. In only the 4th time in NHL history, New York Rangers rookie Derek Stepan shot himself into the recordbooks by scoring a hat trick in his first game as an NHL player. The last time this was accomplished, it was Dallas Stars Fabian Brunnstrom in 2008.

Scoring a hat trick (3 goals in one game) is not an easy feat for any player at any level, but congratulations to a young player who needs to produce on a Rangers team who struggle on the borderline of making the playoffs - or not.

[Via: NewsDay.com]