Archive for the 'Articles' Category

18
Jun

I Just Can’t Do It Captain

By Daniel 3 Comments
Categories: Articles, Ducks and Players

According to this EJ Hradek blog post, Scott Niedermayer is in decision mode on whether he wants to retire or continue playing. Wont that really hurt the whole repeat train. I don’t even know what to think about it honestly. I wouldn’t be upset to see him retire, it would honestly make sense. The resume is long and distinguished, he can’t accomplish anything else, so he would simply have to do it because he loves to play hockey. He can go out on top, helping his brother win a cup and bringing it to a new team without Scott Stevens. The guy is a winner in every sense of the word and can you think of anyone as decorated as he is, in any sport, ever? Plus, he is so classy and plays the game with respect. I feel like I am writing a eulogy here, as I write more, I get the feeling that Scott Niedermayer played his last game of hockey.

If it is, I hope he rides off in to the California sunset and sits on the beach for the rest of his life, raising his kids and being a great dad.

13
Jun

NHL 08 - Finally

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Articles, Blog and Hockey

nhl08

Does this look familiar? Niedermayer, Pronger and Alfredsson.

I know this isn’t anything related to the Ducks, but I have been stalking the Internet for months waiting to hear about this game. I had the PC version and never got to play it on the XBOX360, then they had the nerve to not make it for the PS3, so I was left out of that whole skill stick thing. In 08, they will have a PS3 version, so I will be saved from the god awful, down right worst gaming purchase I have ever made, mistake of a game that is NHL2k7. I can not even express how bad that game was.

Eric Staal is the cover boy this year, at least in North America, it wasn’t listed for the European release yet.

The skill stick has been polished as has the look of the game, which is expected when you develop an innovative control system, it will be buggy for the first year or so. I think the coolest part of the new version will be the AI. I have always wanted better AI in the hockey games, because going coast to coast or flying up the wing and taking it to the crease was just too damn easy.

You will be able to set up in the offensive zone and work the puck around. Because of the much tougher defensive AI in the slot [just try carrying the puck into the slot…we dare you], you will actually need to do this in order to get scoring chances.

This better be true, because I have heard that before. You could kind of set up in NHL 07, but it was more of a desire to dick around with the other team then it was a necessity to actually need to do it because the AI was good. I want to know that my guys can stay in front of the crease and pound someone who walks out in front without me having to control them. I also want scrums after the whistle if the situation arises, then some control of that too, where I can start to push or push back. If someone wants to drop the gloves, then you go with that too. A face wash or a hard slash gets you a penalty, you know, hockey stuff.

We have implemented a new skating engine for NHL 08 that addresses all of your NHL 07 skating issues. You will have 100% control of your players. If you move your left stick 10%, your player will move at 10% speed. If you tap the left stick quickly, your player will quickly move a few feet. If you hold the left stick 100%, your player will skate at 100%

Wont that be nice, we can actually move at the speed of intention, control the finer lines. Though this might be a learning curve, I know a lot of us are used to jamming that analog stick all the way and hitting a speed burst button, the one that can’t get Paul Kariya to a loose puck before Hal Gill when they both start at the same point. There is the feature of a defensemen walking the blue line, fine tuned cross overs to keep your speed while maneuvering.

Some more realistic checking is in the works as well. Based on angle of contact, speed and size of players. Using the same example above, Paul Kariya could level Hal Gill but Gill couldn’t always knock down Kariya. Make the passing a little more realistic and don’t let everything through as well, I don’t think I read anything about that.

All and all, this looks like it is going to be a solid release, but I thought that after NHL 07. I have been told that the difference between the PC/PS2 and XBOX360 versions are pretty big, so I will give EA a little break for that. Check out the links below for more about the game and some galleries. No videos yet, but those are in the wings I am sure.

 

http://blogs.ign.com/EANHL08/
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/794/794764p1.html
http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3160200
http://media.ps3.gamespy.com/media/900/900347/imgs_1.html

26
Apr

You Sunk My Battleship

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Articles, Misc and Players

This should show you what I do on my 10 minute lunch break. According to this article,  Teemu Selanne is going to face charges in Finland for lending a boat to someone who was not licensed to operate it. You would think since he is a huge star in Finalnd that the Finnish media might get the team name right. Nice boat though, that sucks. I knew I would find something stupid to post today.

16
Apr

The Good Ole Days

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Articles, Blog, Hockey and Misc

Remember back in the day when you could tune to ESPN and catch nationaly televised hockey games all the time and when it came to mid-April, it was pretty much the only thing you could watch on ESPN? Now, we know those days are gone, but what was one of the things that caught your ear, you just knew by that sound that something hockey was coming? The damn ESPN NHL theme of course, then Gary Thorne and Bill Clement would come on…I know, I know…heaven. Since I miss that sound, I took the liberty of ripping it from a video I found on YouTube and posting. It is the official ringtone of people who call me and like hockey. It should be my default, but I like my other one too.

So go ahead and snag it here!

13
Apr

Fun Post - Carlye, Coach and Teammate

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Articles, Hockey and Misc

I am sure that most of you have heard that Randy Carlye and Teemu Selanne were once teammates for a season when Selanne was a rookie. Selanne tried to pay Carlyle for the #8 jersey he wore and Carlyle declined. Carlyle retired the next season and the #8 became available. So now to how this is relevant to anything…in a couple degrees of separation.

About two weeks ago I bought a Playstation3, I bought a couple games in preperation for Metal Gear 4 coming out later this year. Now EA’s sports division said they hated the PS3 and would not develop for it about 4 months ago, probably because it is a hard platform to develop on before Sony released a good SDK and more of the PS3 API. NHL2k7 is a wreck from what I hear so that is a no go. I went looking for NHL 08 news and what do you know, in September EA will release it for the PS3. So how does this have to do with Carlyle and Selanne? I am almost there, wade through my bullshit for a minute longer.

In my search for NHL 08 news, I found this classic website dedicated to NHL ‘94. In an ode to the Battle of California post in August 2006 about the best hockey video game, I dedicate this post to jamestobrien. This website has set up a tournament played year around based on NHL ‘94 that you play over the internet. Now if you are trying to dig out your old SNES or Sega Genesis to look for the ethernet port, stop now because it doesn’t exists. This magic happens on your computer through the wonderful world of ROMs. Which are basically just image rips of the cartridges played through an emulator. Now, legally you have to own the game to play it, but whatever. The site has links to the emulators for each system, all you would have to do is find the ROM, which is a quick Google search away. But that is bitchin’ if you ask me. They even have updated rosters to this season, good times!

Now, that the whole post has been shot to hell and drug on, lets get to the point. This page lists the roster for the 1992-93 Winnipeg Jets. Selanne is a starter for the Jets with a rating of 90. Carlyle is not a starter, with a rating of 44. 44? I guess he lost a step or two since winning the Norris 13 years before, maybe that is why he didn’t make NHL 95. I hope the climax was as good for the you as it was for me, now I need a towel to wash up.

PS: Brian Hayward had the worst rating of any goalie in the game with a 38…

11
Apr

Ducks Media Blitz

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Articles, Ducks and Misc

Seems as if the L.A. Times and O.C. Register have pumped out more articles on the Ducks these last few days then they have the entire season. Isn’t there a Lakers game you dicks should be covering? Hockey got the shit end of the stick again this year, despite the Ducks having the best season in their history. Reporters covering games were cut, TV coverage was dismal, ratings sucked compared to other teams. Is this even a hockey market? There comes a time where it takes more then the marketing department for the Ducks to sell the game and team to the people. The media in Southern California has really dropped the ball on this one.

Much like the baseball team across the 57 freeway, the fans and media do not give a damn until the team is in the thick of something good. I was an Angels fan in 2003 and for a decade before that, a very big Angels fan at that. I watched every game I could squeeze around a Mighty Ducks game. When they beat the Yankees, I knew it was pretty special and I became even more involved. It was amazing to see the coverage that the team received in the media and how the fans miraculously started showing up to the stadium. in 2002 they averaged 28,463 a game and 2,305,565 for the season. 2003 saw an increase of 37,791 a game and 3,061,094 for the season, with an increase after that. Now I give no care to how the Angels do, they peaked and now I do not give them any time.

I will have to give the media some credit for that rise, they covered the Angels a lot. But also just the fact that it was baseball, it is an easier game to grasp for a casual fan. Hockey is very niche, but has a similar concept to sports that are very Orange County…soccer and water polo. If you make an effort to cover the Ducks on news casts, newspapers and online outlets it would only help. The Ducks could also help themselves soon by getting a new network to cover games or at least make sure the games are in high definition, this is Orange County, everyone has a HD TV.

The Samueli’s should not have to lose a couple million each year for a franchise that is doing quite well. It is nice to have net worth of $2 billion, but losing a million here and there is like having a nagging bill that you can’t get rid of until you sever ties with the service you are paying for. Maybe a Stanley Cup should bring the noise.

13
Nov

No One is Safe

By Daniel Closed
Categories: Articles and Hockey

According to this article, the Ducks have traded away Stanislov Chistov and Todd Fedoruk. Chistov to Boston for a third round draft pick in 2008 and Fedoruk to Philadelphia for a fourth round pick in the 2007 draft. On the side of actually acquiring a flesh and blood player, they picked up George Parros from Colorado. That article has all three stories in it, so click it if you want to see the details.

Parros obviously replaces Fedoruk, he is 6′5″, 232lbs. You can see his resume here and here (he fights Fedoruk…), he looks like he can handle the job. He is about 3″ taller then Fedoruk, but a little lighter, hopefully it works out. Travis Moen, Sean O’Donnell, Shawn Thornton and Shane O’Brien are probably happy, it is the big guy the team has been missing since Fedoruk was injured.

I for one will miss Todd, he had an offensive drive this year, creating some chances, banging pucks loose, standing up for his teammates. He was a good personality and I am sad he is gone, one of the people I enjoyed watching on the ice. Same with Stan, I liked him, he has some definite skills that were untapped in Anaheim, except that whole 2003 playoff run.

I think it goes to show that no one is safe and Brian Burke doesn’t really fuck around, he holds no favorites. If he sees a deficiency, he plugs it up. This team has good depth up front, Travis Green and Chistov sat forever. It took an injury to Kunitz before Green could break into the lineup. You really can’t sit anyone else when he is able to return to the lineup either. Thornton is playing his ass off, Moen found his niche on that awesome checking line. The only player I can think of that might be able to move down is Ryan Shannon, I bet he is sweating in his boots while Kunitz is out. Green can for sure beat 2-2=4 and a +/- -3.

Then again, I think you would have to scratch him, no doubt someone picks him up on waivers if they try to ship him to Portland. Good thing we don’t have to face Fedoruk on Wednesday, that would break my heart.