UPDATE(12:15 PM EST): Bobby Butler has signed a two-year, one way deal to stay with the Ottawa Senators.
Butler figures to see significant time at the forward position next year with Ottawa. The coaching staff has already opined that he's ready to take on a top-six role, and after last year's fairly impressive run(10G/11A in 36 GP), it's hard to discount that notion.
More on this later.
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Funny or serious, light-hearted or austere - I want to hear some of your more memorable hockey moments in the comments below. There's no real guidelines for what entails a 'story', and I think it's a great way to burn another day off this never ending off-season.
Below, three stories that I think you'll enjoy.
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I'll start off with a humorous take because - well, who doesn't love a bad beat story?
If you know three things about me, it's the following: I love writing, I love hockey, and I love gambling. A lot of the time, #2 and #3 mix, and if you think watching hockey games as a fan is gut-wrenching, try doing it on a nightly basis as a handicapper.
A lot of people often ask me about 'bad beats', or games that seemed like certain locks that somehow ended up in the 'L' column. Trust me, I've had a ton. For years, the absolute 'lowlight' was somewhat of a blur, as no specific game had truly stuck out. That changed on Sunday, November 21 of this past season.
Playing the under on the 5.5 goal total, I sat and watched time tick away as the Anaheim Ducks frantically searched for the equalizer. Now, Edmonton had actually done a beautiful job through the first fifty-nine of bottling up that Ducks rush, and although overpowered, they did their best to try and hold the score at 3-2.
The Ducks carried into the zone, but Devan Dubnyk was on fire. Save after save(he stopped 38 of 40), he continued to play with confidence. No way I'm losing this bet.
Wrong. Wrong! Corey Perry, from just about 200 feet away, slid the puck into his own net in the waning moments. For many, it was just a laughably obscure play. For me, it meant a brutal loser.
Hard to pretend I haven't been on the other end of that, though. In fact, this particular moment is the reason for this blog, as his name had popped up in the comment box below.
Remember Patrick Stefan? Yeah, a guy who's name has become synonymous with 'bust' over the years really wasn't that awful of a player, but the nadir of his career was so low it's eternally marked Stefan in the Hall of Hockey Shame.
In fact, ask even the most casual of hockey fans around the U.S. and Canada, and they probably remember Stefan's flub against Edmonton.
The Stars caused an ugly turnover by the Oilers late in the game as Edmonton launched a final assault, and the puck wound up on the stick of Pat Stefan. He slowly skated towards the net looking for the tap-in, but in perhaps the most unfathomable combination of unluckiness and carelessness, the puck bounced over Stefan's stick on his attempt. Stefan then proceeded to fall on his ass, and the rest is history written in the form of Ales Hemsky's equalizer.
Forget the fact that Dallas had rallied from 4-1 down in that game. Forget the fact that the game-tying goal was scored with two seconds left. Forget the fact that Edmonton had every bit of momentum on home ice in a pivotal Western Conference game.
Against all odds, I somehow cashed the ticket. Many people forget, but that Stars team somehow - almost in a final act of logic defiance - regained composure and won the game in shootouts, courtesy of Sergei Zubov and Jussi Jokinen.
I had the Dallas Stars to win the game, and in the end, came out a happy man. But, let's just say a room full of women and children would've been permanently scorned if they had watch this game start-to-finish with me.
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I can be serious, too!
Covering the Ottawa Senators really is a treat, but at times it's important to revel in the moments and let the emotion of the game completely take over. That's exactly what happened after Daniel Alfredsson's game five clincher against the Buffalo Sabres in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. Of all the goals I've seen over the years, Alfredsson's tally has to sit somewhere near the top of the list. You remember the goal - vintage Alfredsson late and close:
There's goals, there's game-winners, and then there's iconic moments that only one of the league's better captains could produce. When Alfredsson beat Miller, I just remember sitting and taking it all in for a few minutes. As a fan, you want to get up, run around, and scream until your head blows off. Don't get me wrong, that's usually the case.
But, this wasn't just a big goal. It wasn't a season-changing goal. No, this goal changed the course of the franchise for the better. The Ottawa Senators haven't been back to the Stanley Cup since 2007, but after all of the early franchise despair, leaving their mark on North America's greatest series was of unspeakable importance.
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