Puck Junk

Blake’s Takes: Tampa Bay Wins the Stanley Cup

After the NHL season was paused in March, no one was sure if we would see the Stanley Cup lifted. Well, the circumstances surrounding the Stanley Cup Final may have been odd and unexpected, but, the Stanley Cup was awarded to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In this week’s column, I’ll explore how the Lightning’s legacy has changed with their Stanley Cup win.

The rest of the league was busy last week, too! I’ll share my takes on a few notable signings and trades. Happy Tuesday!

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Re-Imagining the 1995 NHL Entry Draft

With the 2020 NHL Entry Draft finally taking place this week, it is time for my annual retro fantasy redraft. This time, we’re traveling back 25 years to 1995 — the year that the New Jersey Devils won their first Stanley Cup and “The Macarena” ruled the airwaves.

The 1995 NHL Entry Draft was the second draft in a row where the top two players selected were defensemen. In fact, the top three picks in 1995 were d-men. Meanwhile, a future 600-goal scorer was taken 11th overall, while a future Vezina Trophy winner wouldn’t be selected until the 5th round!

Knowing what we know today, what would the first round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft look like? Who would go first overall? Fifth overall? Twenty-fifth-overall? Let’s find out!

“And with the first-overall pick, the Ottawa Senators select…”

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Blake’s Takes: Lightning One Win Away

After everything that’s happened since the league paused for COVID-19 back in March, the Stanley Cup will be lifted this week. Tampa Bay won three straight games, but couldn’t close it out against Dallas in Game 5. They’ll face off again in Game 6 tonight with Tampa up 3-2 in the series.

The Stanley Cup Finals has provided its share of storylines, from the return of Steven Stamkos, the dominance of Joe Pavelski, and bad luck of Tyler Seguin.

Outside of the Stanley Cup, the other 30 teams have been busy handing out extensions and making trades.

You can find five of my favorite storylines below.

Also, here’s the best song I heard last week!
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Blake’s Takes: Dallas Takes 1-0 Lead in Stanley Cup Final

Saturday marked the first day of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars. Tampa was without their captain Steven Stamkos, and it looks like they could use him. I’ll share my thoughts on Dallas’ big win in Game 1.

Outside of the bubble, the other 29 teams were busy making moves and on the personnel and marketing side. I’ll spit out some hot takes on everything that happened around the league, including a horrific logo change.

Happy Monday!

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game Hockey

Episode #69: September 15, 2020

In this episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game Hockey card set, which has an impressive lineup of Hall of Famers and hometown heroes. They also talk about the latest hockey collectibles from Upper Deck and Topps. This episode is 90 minutes of pure hockey goodness.

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Topps Now Hockey Stickers archive with print run info (Topps)
Upper Deck Game Dated Moments for Week 49 (Upper Deck Blog)
Fake “New Kids on the Ice” hockey card (Puck Junk)
Wayne Gretzky Fake Indianapolis Racers hockey card (Puck Junk)
2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game Checklist (Trading Card DB)

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game card images:

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #1 – Gordie Howe…er, I mean Mr. Hockey

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #1 – Mr. Hockey (back)

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #87 – Rick Kehoe

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #87 – Rick Kehoe (back)

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #72 – Mike Bossy

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #81 – Mario Lemieux

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #19 – Tony Esposito

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #64 – Chico Resch

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #59 – Michel Goulet

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #26 – Ulf Nilsson

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #88 – Gump Worsley

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #20 – Guy Lapointe
Allegedly, Lapointe will not autograph this card.

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #34 – Wendel Cark

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game #70 – Rick Middleton

2001-02 Fleer Greats of the Game Sealed Hobby Box

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

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Blake’s Takes: Cup Finals Almost Set

After everything the NHL has been through since March, we’re a maximum of six games away from the Stanley Cup Finals. Both series are going into Game 5 with one team up 3-1. I’ll highlight each series as well as a few other notable storylines around the NHL.

P.S. I need the Stanley Cup Finals to start ASAP to take my mind off another soul-crushing Detroit Lions loss.

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Blake’s Takes: Game Sevens Galore

2020 finally showed us mercy and gave us three game sevens in one round of playoff hockey. We deserved it. In all seriousness, last week was an awesome week for the NHL, as three out of four playoff series went to a game seven. I’ll share my thoughts on each of those series as well as a few notable stories that impacted the hockey world.

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How to Build an Awesome-Looking Sports Card Library

Sports card collections are always a work in progress caught somewhere between chaos and order, but every card enthusiast has some method of organization that helps them enjoy their collection. Putting my cards into pages and albums, then storing them on bookcases, has helped me tame the chaos. This way, I can quickly find a specific card or set to look at and enjoy; or easily put away a new card when I add it to my collection. A fellow collector once remarked that my collection looked like “The Library of Congress for Hockey Cards,” which I took as a huge compliment. If you have a little floor space in your bedroom, rec room or “man cave,” you too can create your own impressive sports card library.

Here is what you will need: Read the rest of the story at the BCW Supplies Blog.

Blake’s Takes: Justice for Jacob Blake

The sports world was rocked last week after the shooting of Jacob Blake at the hands of a police officer in Kenosha, WI. Blake was shot while heading to his car after breaking up a fight. His three children were in the back seat. After the shooting, the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA decided to forfeit their playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The Bucks were the catalyst for the many protests in sports that followed. The Bucks, as well as the other teams that protested, felt that it was no longer acceptable to allow themselves, as athletes, to be a distraction to what’s going on. Enough is enough.

For this edition of Blake’s Takes, all five of my takes will focus on how the shooting of Blake impacted the NHL. Sports can no longer serve as a distraction while more pressing issues like social justice and racial inequality exist in the world, especially in North America.

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Puck Junk Podcast: 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Cards

Episode #68: August 28, 2020

In the latest Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish look back at the 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Card set. They also discuss the pause of the NHL playoffs due to players protesting systemic racism, the legacy of Dale Hawerchuk, Mike Milbury putting his shoe in his mouth one too many times, the problem with Topps NOW Hockey stickers, and much more. This episode is 2 hours 8 minutes, so kick back and enjoy!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
NHL Postpones Games Until Saturday (NHL.com)
Dale Hawerchuk’s page on the Hockey Hall of Fame Website (HHOF)
NBC Removes Mike Milbury Due to Comments (Yahoo Sports)
Review of “The Don Cherry Story, Part 1” (Puck Junk)
Review of “The Don Cherry Story, Part 2” (Puck Junk)
Marc-Andre Fleury Asks Agent to Delete Controversial Tweet (NBC PHT)
Topps Now NHL Sticker Archive with Print Runs (Topps)
2020-21 Upper Deck MVP Hockey Checklist (Cardboard Connection)