Nicklas Lidstrom was the best defenseman of the decade and helped the Red Wings to a pair of Stanley Cup titles.
The first ten years of the 21st century have flashed by. Great NHL careers like those of Joe Sakic, Jaromir Jagr, Steve Yzerman, Peter Forsberg and Mario Lemieux have come to an end and others like those of Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin have just gotten started.
Who has had the best decade though? Taking a look from Jan 1, 2000 until December 31, 2009 I’ve come up with this list. These are my best ten players of the 2000’s in the NHL.
Who Was The Best Hockey Player Of The Decade?
Nicklas Lidstrom (32%, 7 Votes)
Martin Brodeur (32%, 7 Votes)
Joe Thornton (14%, 3 Votes)
Jaromir Jagr (9%, 2 Votes)
Jarome Iginla (5%, 1 Votes)
Scott Niedermayer (5%, 1 Votes)
Joe Sakic (5%, 1 Votes)
Chris Pringer (0%, 0 Votes)
Daniel Alfredsson (0%, 0 Votes)
Patrik Elias (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 22
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10. Patrik Elias LW- New Jersey Devils- Regular season (GP-652 G-267 A-359) Playoffs (GP-114 G-38 A-64) 1 First All-star team.
Elias started the decade helping Brodeur and company dump the Dallas Stars in the Stanley cup finals in 2000. He was in the finals again the next year barely losing to the power house Colorado Avalanche four games to three. New Jersey won the cup again in 2003 defeating the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Elias provided offense on a team that played a tight defensive system to win their cups. He played through a decade of injury and sickness on a trap team and still managed to be the decades 9th leading scorer in the regular season. When you throw in his playoff numbers he’s the seventh leading scorer of the decade and he’s tied with Vincent Lecavalier for the sixth most total goals in the decade. This skilled playoff performer was the tenth best player of the 2000’s. Read the rest of this entry →
The Sabres began this past week with an overtime win against Toronto. The Maple Leafs continue to struggle against the Buffalo Sabres, losing the last nine matchups. Toronto did have a 2-1 lead in the 3rd, but the Sabres tied it up and eventually won the game in overtime.
Buffalo was without Thomas Vanek and Patrick Kaleta, who were both recovering from injuries. About midway through the third period, Jochen Hecht tipped in a rebound pass Jonas Gustavsson to tie the game at two.
Toronto played very well, and deserved the win, but they were unable to stop the Sabres. Derek Roy took a pass from Hecht, and backhanded it into the net for the overtime win.
On Wednesday, the Sabres ran into the Washington Capitals and found out how good they really are. The Sabres have held the Capitals to just two goals in as many games prior to Wednesday. Buffalo stayed with Washington for most of the game, but then collapsed midway through the third.
In the third, Washington would take advantage of a 5 on 3 power play, scoring twice. Backstrom scored his second of the night, followed by an Ovechkin goal to break the game wide open. The Sabres stayed in the game up until the two man advantage for Washington. The Capitals have led in 35 of 37 games this season.
Since the 2005-2006 season, the Senators have dominated the Sabres, winning 21 of 31.
Sabres beat again by Sens.
On Wednesday night, it remained that way.
After the first period the Senators were only up 1-0. I say ONLY because of Ryan Miller. The game could have easily been out of reach for Buffalo.
Alexandre Picard was the one to finally get the puck past Miller in the first. Buffalo had trouble getting things going and could not generate any scoring chances. Shots were 11-5 in favor of Ottawa after the opening period.
The second period involved much more physical play. Both teams started to throw around their bodies. Then, Jarkko Ruutu deliverd a head shot to Patrick Kaleta, earning a five minute boarding penalty. However, Ruutu was not ejected from the game, only a five minute penalty.
I thought the NHL was trying to crack down on head shots. In my view, Ruutu should have been ejected along with the penalty. I’m sure the NHL will look into a possible suspension because it was a clean and deliberate shot to the head. This is not the first time Ruutu has aggrevated the Sabres. Last season, he bit Andrew Peters while they were in a scrum.
Kaleta left the game and did not return. I was disappointed to see that nobody went after Ruutu. Buffalo needs to start protecting their players. The Sabres did keep up with the physical play as Adam Mair, Matt Ellis, Steve Montador, and Mike Grier finished their checks.
The Sabres have not played well in the Bell Centre. Ryan Miller has not won there in four starts. Buffalo disregarded those stats and came in and beat the Canadiens.
Tim Kennedy celebrates his goal that put Buffalo up 3-2.
The game resembled a style similar to the Sabres’ 2006-2007 season. It was an offensive game, even with the league’s best goaltender in the net.
Montreal got on the board first with Andrei Kostitsyn’s seventh of the season.
That’s was it for the first period. Both teams had nine shots, but Montreal had the 1-0 lead.
As soon as the puck was dropped in the second period, Adam Mair and Ryan O’Byrne dropped the gloves.
Midway through the second, Buffalo got on the board with Andrej Sekera’s second goal of the season. Montreal would not see a lead for the rest of the game.
A two goal game may not be a career night for many players, but for Patrick Kaleta it was just that.
Buffalo was up for another big challenge on Saturday night. Although the Sabres had Ryan Miller in net, the Rangers have had a day off in between games. The Sabres played their third game in four nights.
Patrick Kaleta's two goals led the Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Rangers.
The prior two games may have come as a shock to many fans. Buffalo played two elite teams: one from each conference. On Wednesday, Buffalo was able to shutout the league’s top scoring team. Then, on Friday, the Sabres held the Blackhawks to just one goal (with backup goaltender Patrick Lalime in net).
Nathan Gerbe was not in the lineup tonight, due to a sore groin. The team called up Mark Mancari for the game. Mike Grier was also out of the lineup due to his mother passing away. He is expected to be back for Monday’s game against Montreal.
As for tonight’s matchup…..it was only one week ago when the Rangers beat the Sabres 2-1. Tonight, Buffalo got revenge. They had Ryan Miller, who is coming off of a shutout, to help them find two points. Read the rest of this entry →
Ryan Miller makes a save on Washington's Brooks Laich
It looked like a no-brainer. The Caps were easily the favored team against the Sabres. With Buffalo scoring one goal in their past two games, Washington looked like the best bet in this one.
The Capitals came into the game first in points, goals, and power play percentage.
Wednesday night, Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres showed up to play.
Steve Montador led the scoring with his second of the season, giving Buffalo the early lead.
Just called up from Portland, Nathan Gerbe collected a goal and an assist on the night. Gerbe was extremly upset that he did not make the team at the start of the season. In his first game this season, he showed Lindy Ruff why he should be on the team.
Louie Dampier’s name might not resonate as widely as other basketball legends, but the Sports Then & Now Vintage Athlete of the Month’s impact on the game, particularly during the American Basketball Association (ABA) era, is undeniable. Known for his pinpoint shooting, exceptional ball handling, and relentless work ethic, Dampier enjoyed a stellar basketball career that saw him thrive in both the ABA and NBA. As one of the most consistent and prolific guards of his time, Dampier left a lasting legacy, and his role in the ABA’s history solidified his place in the annals of basketball greatness.
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