Recently by Mike Milbury

• Hockey Night in Canada Milbury: Who could ever predict this? If you tell me you saw Florida at the top of the NHL's Eastern Conference in mid-Decemberas you were picking your fantasy team in October, you are a much better judge than most professional analysts.  Posted: Friday, December 9, 2011 | 01:57 PM
• Hockey Night in Canada Is Ovechkin a coach killer? Bruce Boudreau had no chance after he benched Alex Ovechkin in the waning minutes of a recent game and the "Great 8" muttered an unflattering description of his coach. The clock began to tick for Boudreau at that moment and his team's recent poor play made it easy for GM George McPhee to fire the coach on Monday.For Dale Hunter's sake, I hope Ovechkin gets it. For every fan's sake, I hope he gets it. If not, he will become a serial coach killer and the Caps will be trapped with a fatally flawed captain and team. Posted: Monday, November 28, 2011 | 02:12 PM
• Hockey Night in Canada Blue Jackets should move Nash It is a badge of honour in many ways to remain with the same team for your entire career. It speaks of a player's loyalty to team and a town. It speaks of consistency and achievement. But for Rick Nash and Columbus, writes Mike Milbury, it's time to part company. Posted: Friday, November 18, 2011 | 11:48 AM
• Hockey Night in Canada NHL must prevent the 'prevent defence' The much-talked about game between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay was a classic. Anybody who saw it will not forget it. Posted: Friday, November 11, 2011 | 01:58 PM
• Hockey Night in Canada Caps-Pens & Bruins-Flyers are savoury matchups It is snowing in Boston. Great winter ahead but I can't help thinking of the playoffs. And dreamy match ups. Why not? Posted: Friday, October 28, 2011 | 12:03 PM
• Hockey Night in Canada Milbury on NHL GMs: Three up and three down Every GM enters the NHL season with high hopes. Months of planning, years of developing and much gut wrenching are involved. Here we are just a handful of games into the season and some of those GM's are breathing easier and some are scratching their heads. Posted: Thursday, October 20, 2011 | 10:41 AM
• Hockey Night in Canada Bruins fizzling on offence to start season The Boston Bruins repeating? At least when it comes to their power play. Posted: Friday, October 14, 2011 | 02:31 PM
• Hockey No miracle on ice for this U.S. team, but maybe a medal As we approach the Vancouver Olympics, it seems as if Canada can only disappoint by not winning a gold medal. Not so, of course, for the U.S. squad. Expectations for the club according to most observers are relatively modest. And a peek at the roster seems to confirm that this team doesn't seem that have the clout necessary to climb the podium. Posted: Thursday, February 11, 2010 | 12:09 PM
• Hockey Senators putting league on notice With Hockey Day in Canada upon us, it seems a good time to peek at Canada's entries in the NHL. Or maybe not. Posted: Friday, January 29, 2010 | 04:44 PM
• Hockey Blackhawks, Sharks a cut above the rest As we approach the Olympic break, it is evident that the Western Conference has two teams a cut about the rest. That's not to say any one of a number of teams can't make a push, but there is a reason the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks have a double-digit lead on the rest of the bunch. Posted: Friday, January 22, 2010 | 12:10 PM
• Hockey Is Kovalchuk worth the money? And please, give juniors respect My colleague Elliotte Friedman often comes up with a weekly list of 30 things to discuss. I don't know how he does it, but his brain is working overtime for the company. Since I don't do overtime anymore, I can only come up with five topics that pushed my buttons this week. Posted: Wednesday, January 6, 2010 | 02:30 PM
• Hockey Unfocused Flyers need to face an iron fist The Philadelphia Flyers seemed poised to make a big push this year to threaten their cross-state rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Alex Ovechkin-led Capitals of Washington. Right now the only thing the Flyers are threatening is to miss the playoffs. Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 | 05:14 PM
• Hockey Ovechkin must accept his medicine Yikes. The most exciting player in the game is now a wanted man. It's always news when one of the sport’s best players gets suspended, but this is getting a bit ridiculous. Posted: Friday, December 4, 2009 | 01:44 PM
• Hockey Leafs woes make for GM headaches Think about it for a second: While no pundit was making either the Leafs or the Hurricanes Stanley Cup favourites, nobody thought it was going to be this bad for either club. Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009 | 12:20 PM
• Hockey Hockey Hall of Fame committee had it easy this year How easy a time did the Hall of Fame Selection Committee have this year? The four players selected were as close to no-brainers as the committee has seen in some time. Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 04:11 PM
• Hockey The new Mr. Hockey Thursday night I was working for NESN, the Boston-based station that carries the Bruins so my attention was focused on the B’s-Devils, but it was the out of town highlights that really stole the show. Don't get me wrong. Boston and New Jersey played a heckuva hockey game last night. It's just that when the Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin is playing, I don't want to miss a thing. Posted: Friday, October 30, 2009 | 12:25 PM
• Hockey Two up, two down Every year, NHL media types, including me, trot out their predictions. It is a sure-fire way to embarrass ourselves and yet another lesson in how the game can humble anyone, even the so-called experts. Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009 | 12:15 PM
• Hockey Time to stop the whining Oh it's cryin' time again. It happens every spring when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin: it's the annual attack of the goaltender. Posted: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | 05:56 PM
• Hockey Gut check time for B's The Boston Bruins came out of their funk to defeat the New Jersey Devils last Sunday afternoon in Boston. The bad news for the Bruins is that they got five more days off before their next tilt. For most of February and March, the Bruins were floundering with a 6-10-3 record and looked more like a bubble team than a Presidents’ Trophy contender. Posted: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 | 07:19 PM
• Hockey Rangers' new sheriff is on target. So far. When I'm not working for the CBC, I have the chance to do some broadcasts with NBC in the U.S. The past two weekends, we covered the Rangers vs. the Bruins and then the Rangers vs. the Flyers. Compared to previous viewings, the difference in New York's play these last two weekends has been considerable. There's not much doubt that new coach John Tortorella has breathed life into what was a floundering hockey team. That's no slam on Tom Renney, who had some pretty good years in Manhattan, but it seems that Tortorella's approach has brought optimism and, with that, energy. Posted: Monday, March 16, 2009 | 05:32 PM
• Hockey Most exciting - and most foul - day of the year for a GM The pressure of the trading deadline doesn't arrive in one swoop. The process began weeks ago as general managers began to come terms with what the season has brought. The ensuing reality check brought about the seeds of a plan that will germinate or stagnate at the deadline. The ability to ferret out information, tell the truth from the b.s., know the snake charmer from the salesman, and most of all, know exactly what you want to accomplish and why will all come into play. And it doesn't hurt to have some steely reserve. Posted: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 | 06:04 PM
• Hockey Time for Canadiens to circle wagons With everything going on in Montreal, it's easy to forget that this team was a popular pre-season pick to win the Eastern Conference. The centennial season was supposed to be a celebration of the team's class, pride and excellence. So, far only the marketing team has lived up to expectations. Posted: Saturday, February 28, 2009 | 07:18 PM
• Hockey The Therrien decision A couple of weeks ago I attended a practice at the Igloo. The Penguins marched onto the ice as if they were part of a funeral procession. There was very little communication between the players … even less between players and coach. The whistle blew and the players gathered dutifully and listened to whatever instructions the coach had given. There wasn't the hint of rebellion. It was more like docile sheep being herded in certain directions. Posted: Thursday, February 19, 2009 | 05:29 PM
• Hockey Bruins are the best of the East There is no doubt the best team in the Eastern Conference is the Boston Bruins. The Bruins just completed five consecutive games against teams two through six in the conference and recorded a 4-0-1 record. They are on a 9-2-1 tear and have the most points in the NHL. Improbably, they must be considered, second only to Detroit, as Stanley Cup favourites. Posted: Friday, February 6, 2009 | 10:52 AM
• Hockey Don't you just love a good hot spell? You might think it's been a cold winter. But for a few teams in the NHL, it’s about to heat up. Let me explain. Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 | 03:43 PM
• Hockey Grapes should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame It is time to elect Don Cherry into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There is not a man on the planet who has kept more fans or made more fans for the sport of hockey than Grapes. For nearly 30 years he has kept the attention of Canadian hockey fans (and now fans worldwide) on the sport that he and they love far more than any other. And I’m not talking about the media wing … I am talking about full fledged induction in the builders’ category. Posted: Thursday, January 15, 2009 | 07:12 PM
• Hockey Why Pat Quinn deserves another shot in the NHL The world junior tournament is over and Canada can once again rejoice in its supremacy in ice hockey. It's not only a great moment for the country and the kids who won the championship - it is perhaps a renaissance for their coach, Pat Quinn. Quinn has done it all at the NHL level, and yet the door to pro coaching was slammed shut behind him after he was let go by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006. Will his team's success at the world juniors offer him another crack at the Stanley Cup, about the only thing missing from his resume? I sure hope so. Posted: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 | 01:49 PM
• Hockey A classic indeed It lived up to its name. The Winter Classic was a spectacular celebration of the sport. From the hallowed grounds of Wrigley Field in Chicago, the National Hockey League was presented at its best. A roaring packed house enjoyed a lengthy pre-game celebration complete with fireworks and an air force fighter jet flyby, and the crowd continued standing for most of the afternoon. Posted: Saturday, January 3, 2009 | 11:33 AM
• Hockey The beasts of the East The new uniforms were delivered just in time. They arrived during the week in which the Boston Bruins claimed a share of first place in the Eastern Conference with a win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. Ominously black, with a growling bear on the crest, the sweaters seemed to confirm what everyone around the NHL has been reluctant to acknowledge until recently. Posted: Monday, December 8, 2008 | 03:17 PM
• Hockey Excuse me if I don't join in the Canadiens' big party Today marks the official start of the Montreal Canadiens’ 100th anniversary. Pardon me if I don't feel like joining the party. For the Habs fans, this begins a few months strolling down memory lane. For me, it's like bringing out the skeletons in the closet. Posted: Thursday, December 4, 2008 | 12:11 PM
• Hockey Smile, Mr. Wilson Those of you who are old enough to remember the television comedy show, Dennis the Menace, are sure to recollect the grumpy old next door neighbour to the mischievous Dennis. Somehow, someway, Dennis always found a way irritate the fastidious Mr. Wilson. Still, in the end, Dennis would somehow find his way back into his good graces. Posted: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 | 11:48 AM
• Hockey Nothing secretive or sinister behind Burke decision Brian Burke tried to tell anyone who would listen: He was tired of the cross-country travel to see his children in addition to the other sojourns that come with the job of President and General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks. Ever one to be well-informed, he made inquiries of other managers on the East Coast as to how often they travelled for job purposes. The responses were predictable. In every case, the eastern managers were home somewhere between 35-50 days more often than Burke. Posted: Thursday, November 13, 2008 | 12:37 PM
• Hockey McLellan's simple message has Sharks feasting Anyone who ever saw the movie, "Jaws," can never forget the scene where Quint, aka Robert Shaw, gets devoured by the great white shark that he is pursuing. No matter what Quint and company threw at the creature, it had an answer. In the end, Quint was made into mincemeat by the beast. That’s exactly what the NHL’s Sharks have done to opponents that try to make a splash in their games in San Jose. Posted: Saturday, November 8, 2008 | 09:23 AM
• Hockey Milan Lucic a welcome presence in today's NHL The NHL's mantra over the past few years has been that skill and scoring must flourish. Make way for the crafty player and the little guy with hands. I have no problem with that. Posted: Friday, October 31, 2008 | 02:38 PM
• Hockey Bell ready to toll in Philadelphia W.C. Fields certainly didn't have hockey in mind when he uttered his derogatory line, "I'd rather be dead than in Philadelphia." Posted: Friday, October 24, 2008 | 05:24 PM
• Hockey Vancouver Canucks: Contenders or pretenders? Clever title, eh? Well, like it or not, it is the question du jour. Vancouver exploded out of the gate with a couple of wins over a confused Calgary team before stalling in Washington. The Canucks found a way to beat the Detroit Red Wings in overtime but were blasted the next night by the Buffalo Sabres. Posted: Saturday, October 18, 2008 | 11:05 AM
• Hockey Tampa Bay's brass a curious, entertaining bunch Somewhere up there in Hockey Heaven, probably in the smoking section of an oak-panelled pub, I can imagine Bill Wirtz sipping some of his beloved Seagram’s while trying to explain to Harold Ballard what blasphemy is taking place in Tampa Bay. "Can you believe, Harold, these upstarts are going to try to run a hockey team? How did these clowns get into the NHL?" Posted: Thursday, October 2, 2008 | 03:50 PM