Anyone who watched last year's 24/7 knows how compelling the show has the capability of being. However, last year's narrative was highlighted by two rivaled All-Stars in Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, with the Pittsburgh Penguins ascending into the league's top ranks, while Alex Ovechkin's Washington Capitals were plummeting into a fairly lengthy losing streak. Now, however, we have Philadelphia and New York, two teams that are vying for the lead in the Eastern Conference. So where's the conflict going to come from?
Well, the first thing I can tell you, is that Ilya Bryzgalov will be a source of immense entertainment. Considering his epic moments like the famous "Why you heff to be so mad," he should pose some great fodder for HBO's cameras. Even in watching the first episode, you can see how wonderful he will be. His comments on the "the universe," were utter perfection. Still, on the ice HBO might be wanting for content. This can certainly be compensated by some nice exposure on the players' personal lives and processes. Still, it might become a point for concern. So far, the first episode is solid enough. Yet there seems to be something very formulaic about it, as though they're trying to emulate what worked last year down to the T. Still, there's a half hour to go in the first episode, so here's to some quality insight into the world of hockey. Enjoy the series, guys!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Best Line In Hockey
When hockey fans and analysts discuss the best lines in hockey, they often bring up the likes of the Sedin Twins of the Vancouver Canucks, Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks , Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski (formerly Dany Heatley) of the San Jose Sharks, and the Stamkos-St. Louis line of the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, there are three names which, thus far this season, have been criminally forgotten in this sort of conversation- Stephen Weiss, Kris Versteeg, and Tomas Fleischmann. So far this season, the Florida Panthers' top line has combined for 22 goals, 33 assists, 55 points, and a +30 rating. On special teams, they've combined for 7 PPG's, and 9 PPA's. Those stats are outstanding. Granted, other lines have posted similar numbers. On the league leading Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Kane, Jon Toews, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Sharp have posted equally prolific numbers, as have lines in Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Tampa Bay, and arguably in Dallas, though to a lesser extent. Regardless, no line is as surprising as Florida's line. Just 7 months ago, Kris Versteeg was on his 3rd NHL team in 2 years (the Panthers became his 4th), it was questioned whether Tomas Fleischmann would ever play in the NHL again due to pulmonary emboli, and Stephen Weiss' legitimacy as a first line center was ambiguous at best. Fast forward to now, and the three of them are carrying the Florida Panthers back to legitimacy, and the playoffs.
Obviously, they're not alone in that pursuit. The torrid production of newly acquired defenseman Brian Campbell, along with the solid performance of the enigmatic Jose Theodore, has certainly helped carry the team to its current 10-6-3 record. There's no guarantee that the team's current success will continue. Though they're winning right now, there are questions regarding the team's offensive depth and defensive acumen. Regardless, things are certainly looking up in Florida, especially with blue chip youngsters Erik Gudbranson, Jacob Markstrom, and Jonathan Huberdeau developing into the team's future core. GM Dave Tallon, while audacious and occasionally foolish, is certainly proving that the value of personnel transactions goes beyond the mere dollars and cents that comprise player contracts. The moves made this offseason have improved the on ice product of the Florida Panther immensely. More importantly though, it's translated that quality into all facets of the organization. And that's something to be excited about.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Trouble Looming For Detroit
Every year, a strong minority of pundits predict a letdown for the Detroit Red Wings. The success of the last twenty years has left the Red Wings with few top flight prospects, and a rapidly aging corps. The team is still driven by the engine of Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Henrik Zetterberg. However, all of them are over 30, and this is probably Lidstrom's last season in the league, though knowing him, he could easily pull a Chris Chelios and play well into his 40's. The recent retirements of Brian Rafalski, Chris Osgood, Kirk Maltby, and Kris Draper indicate the close of an era in Red Wings history. The problem is that the Red Wings have not begun to prepare for the next era. The team's defensive corps, featuring Jakub Kindl, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ian White, Brad Stuart, Niklas Kronwall, and Jonathan Ericsson, is still solid. The question, however, is how solid that corps will be down the road. Lidstrom will be gone in a year or two, and Stuart and Kronwall are both already over 30. Just today Kronwall signed a 7-year extension that will keep him in Detroit until he's 38. His cap hit will be about 4.6 million dollars, which would be a fair price if it weren't going to follow him until he's 38.
At forward though, the Red Wings seem much shakier. Firstly, they're not deep to start with. Johan Franzen, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg are probably the only legitimate top six forwards on the team, though you could count Jiri Hudler in there depending on how you view him. Those three players are all over 30, and the youth that has come onto the team in the last three years does not look like it's going to be able to take over the offensive reigns. Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, and Drew Miller, while young, homegrown prospects, certainly don't seem capable of rising above the third line. Naturally, that raises some concerns. Is Valteri Filpula really a second pivot? How much longer does Todd Bertuzzi have? One year? Two? The Red Wings might be looking on some dark days ahead. Now don't get me wrong, as long as Ken Holland and Mike Babcock are there, the team will be competitive. Rather, it's just a matter of when they start playing at a level where they will receive draft picks that actually matter.
Friday, October 21, 2011
What's Wrong With The Montreal Canadiens?
The list of things maligning the Montreal Canadiens is long: small forwards, a defensive corps composed of stiff veterans, untested youngsters, and unproven free agents, a lack of a first line center, and injuries. All of these are, of course, validly raised issues with the Montreal Canadiens. The problem is, however, that these are issues that have existed for more than two years. In spite of that, the Canadiens pushed the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins to seven games in the first round of the playoffs last year, and made their own trip to the Eastern Conference Finals the year before that. So what's changed? Why, all of a sudden, has this team seemingly spit up on itself?
The first issue is in fact injuries. Scoring winger Michael Cammalleri has missed three out of six games with a laceration on his leg, and defensemen Chris Campoli, Jaroslav Spacek, and Andrei Markov, have been limited to a collective three games played, having played one, two, and zero, respectively. That hurts. Markov is the team's best offensive defenseman, Spacek is a solid veteran that eats up a solid number of minutes and is a calming influence on the rest of the corps, and Chris Campoli is a 27-year old free agent acquisition who is capable of chipping in around 25 points a season. Regardless, Markov was gone all of last season, as was defenseman Josh Gorges, who is now back. So why does their GAA now rank 22nd in the league? Well, like I said, it's because of injuries, but more importantly, it's because their healthy defensemen are, well, playing like garbage. Super stud P.K. Subban has skated to a 0-1-1 scoring line, with a -6 rating. That is awful. To put that in perspective, the defenseman with the second lowest +/- rating is Hal Gill, and he is only -2. So, that certainly hurts. What also hurts though, is that veteran Roman Hamrlik is gone. Now, Hamrlik was never really all that great, in my opinion. But he'd been with the team for awhile, and he certainly understood the system that Jacque Martin implements in Montreal. In his place, the Canadiens now have two rookies, Raphael Diaz and Alexei Yemelin, along with young defenseman Yannick Weber, who has a grand total of 55 NHL games to his credit. An inexperienced D-Corps definitely does not help a team that is supposed to play defense first hockey.
With that being said, there are problems with other parts of the team as well. If I were to ask you what the first line of the Montreal Canadiens was, who would you say was on it? Gionta, Plekanec, Kostitsyn? Cole, Gomez, Pacioretty? You probably wouldn't have any answer-- because there isn't one. The Canadiens have been line juggling all season, which has caused discontent amongst much of the Canadiens' blogosphere. Though I personally rarely support line juggling, you can hardly blame Martin for trying it out six games into the season. It's still early, no one has built any chemistry yet anyway, and there's just no real way of knowing who the Canadiens' top six guys are. They have a lot of guys that would fit well on a second line: Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty, Andrei Kostitsyn, Brian Gionta, Erik Cole, Scott Gomez....ok, maybe not Scott Gomez, but there's a noticeable problem here. Though these guys are top six forwards, none of them are top line forwards. The line of Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais, and Andrei Kostitsyn has been fairly effective. Patches, as Pacioretty is sometimes referred to by fans, has a score line of 2-3-5, which is very respectable through six games, especially on a team that ranks 22nd in goals scored. Regardless, is they're anyone in the world that thinks that David Desharnais is a first line center? Plekanec, though his qualifications can be debated, should be the team's top pivot. He's posted a 70- point season before, and he's good pretty good hands. Putting him on a line with the two physical wingers previously mentioned could really complement his finessed style of play well.
There's also the goalie problem. Carey Price has a 2.84 GAA, with a .890 SV%. Not exactly the numbers that won him fame and admiration in Montreal last season. Despite these statistics, however, Price isn't actually the problem. The defense has been terrible in front of him. The problem is that the Habs can't afford to play anyone other than Price. If Price can't handle the games he plays behind this defensive corps, how on earth is Peter Budaj going to? No offense to Peter Budaj, but he's kind of terrible at playing hockey.
Lastly, there's the coaching element. Lots of people blame the departure of Kirk Muller for the team's recent misfortune. He was the special teams guy, the players' coach. Now that he's gone, the special teams are horrendous (2-25 on the powerplay), and the team looks out of sync and apathetic. It won't be long before the discontent over the fortunes of this season turn to the coach that is still there, Jacques Martin. Yet, that's not where displeased fans should be turning their anger. At the end of the day, this team is bad because it is poorly constructed. Though Gauthier made smart decisions last season in his decision to keep Carey Price and ship away Jaroslav Halak, his moves this offseason were downright boneheaded. He let the bottom two lines get worse, while he did nothing to improve the top line. He didn't replenish the defensive corps, and he did nothing to try and replace Kirk Muller. The result is a terrible team.
The first issue is in fact injuries. Scoring winger Michael Cammalleri has missed three out of six games with a laceration on his leg, and defensemen Chris Campoli, Jaroslav Spacek, and Andrei Markov, have been limited to a collective three games played, having played one, two, and zero, respectively. That hurts. Markov is the team's best offensive defenseman, Spacek is a solid veteran that eats up a solid number of minutes and is a calming influence on the rest of the corps, and Chris Campoli is a 27-year old free agent acquisition who is capable of chipping in around 25 points a season. Regardless, Markov was gone all of last season, as was defenseman Josh Gorges, who is now back. So why does their GAA now rank 22nd in the league? Well, like I said, it's because of injuries, but more importantly, it's because their healthy defensemen are, well, playing like garbage. Super stud P.K. Subban has skated to a 0-1-1 scoring line, with a -6 rating. That is awful. To put that in perspective, the defenseman with the second lowest +/- rating is Hal Gill, and he is only -2. So, that certainly hurts. What also hurts though, is that veteran Roman Hamrlik is gone. Now, Hamrlik was never really all that great, in my opinion. But he'd been with the team for awhile, and he certainly understood the system that Jacque Martin implements in Montreal. In his place, the Canadiens now have two rookies, Raphael Diaz and Alexei Yemelin, along with young defenseman Yannick Weber, who has a grand total of 55 NHL games to his credit. An inexperienced D-Corps definitely does not help a team that is supposed to play defense first hockey.
With that being said, there are problems with other parts of the team as well. If I were to ask you what the first line of the Montreal Canadiens was, who would you say was on it? Gionta, Plekanec, Kostitsyn? Cole, Gomez, Pacioretty? You probably wouldn't have any answer-- because there isn't one. The Canadiens have been line juggling all season, which has caused discontent amongst much of the Canadiens' blogosphere. Though I personally rarely support line juggling, you can hardly blame Martin for trying it out six games into the season. It's still early, no one has built any chemistry yet anyway, and there's just no real way of knowing who the Canadiens' top six guys are. They have a lot of guys that would fit well on a second line: Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty, Andrei Kostitsyn, Brian Gionta, Erik Cole, Scott Gomez....ok, maybe not Scott Gomez, but there's a noticeable problem here. Though these guys are top six forwards, none of them are top line forwards. The line of Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais, and Andrei Kostitsyn has been fairly effective. Patches, as Pacioretty is sometimes referred to by fans, has a score line of 2-3-5, which is very respectable through six games, especially on a team that ranks 22nd in goals scored. Regardless, is they're anyone in the world that thinks that David Desharnais is a first line center? Plekanec, though his qualifications can be debated, should be the team's top pivot. He's posted a 70- point season before, and he's good pretty good hands. Putting him on a line with the two physical wingers previously mentioned could really complement his finessed style of play well.
There's also the goalie problem. Carey Price has a 2.84 GAA, with a .890 SV%. Not exactly the numbers that won him fame and admiration in Montreal last season. Despite these statistics, however, Price isn't actually the problem. The defense has been terrible in front of him. The problem is that the Habs can't afford to play anyone other than Price. If Price can't handle the games he plays behind this defensive corps, how on earth is Peter Budaj going to? No offense to Peter Budaj, but he's kind of terrible at playing hockey.
Lastly, there's the coaching element. Lots of people blame the departure of Kirk Muller for the team's recent misfortune. He was the special teams guy, the players' coach. Now that he's gone, the special teams are horrendous (2-25 on the powerplay), and the team looks out of sync and apathetic. It won't be long before the discontent over the fortunes of this season turn to the coach that is still there, Jacques Martin. Yet, that's not where displeased fans should be turning their anger. At the end of the day, this team is bad because it is poorly constructed. Though Gauthier made smart decisions last season in his decision to keep Carey Price and ship away Jaroslav Halak, his moves this offseason were downright boneheaded. He let the bottom two lines get worse, while he did nothing to improve the top line. He didn't replenish the defensive corps, and he did nothing to try and replace Kirk Muller. The result is a terrible team.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Ryan Nugent Hopkins Is Proving Me Wrong
When the Edmonton Oilers decided to sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an entry-level contract and start him off in the big leagues, I was a bit skeptical. Granted, they have a nine-game grace period to send him back down, but the general feeling seemed to be that they would keep him in the NHL or AHL this year. Sure enough, that's proving to be a good decision. Through three games, Nugent-Hopkins has 4 goals. Three of them have come in one game-- against the Oilers' division rivals the Vancouver Canucks. And his goals are not fluky. In fact, his first career goal was a prime example of quality hockey IQ. Unfortunately, Youtube seems to now forbid all embedding of hockey videos, and so I can't show off the goal. However, it can be described like this. Nuge got the puck, and took a shot from the red faceoff dot. Firstly, shooting like that in his first game as an NHLer demonstrates a strong level of confidence on the ice. After shooting, he drove to the net, through a defenseman, to follow up on his own rebound. As a defenseman tried to box him out, he slipped past the check, and put the puck over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury with a sharp backhand shot.
If this is for real, and Nugent-Hopkins is already ready to be the first line center for the Oilers. This is going to be a very exciting season for the Oil. Devan Dubnyk is, in my opinion, a very competent goalie, and he has a good mentor in Nik Khabibulin who, despite his current lack of prowess, used to be quite the goalie. Taylor Hall, Magnus Pajaarvi-Svenson, and Jordan Eberle form the trifecta of exciting sophomore forwards heading into this season. I suppose you could also put Linus Omark in that category. There are also veterans like Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, and Ryan Smyth there to help foster the young talent. On the back end, the defense is anchored by Ryan Whitney, who, prior to his injury last season, was playing at a Norris Trophy worthy level. They also have the forgotten former Blackhawk Cam Barker, along with veteran Andy Sutton...alright so essentially the defensive corps is garbage. The defense is probably going to be the thing that holds the Oilers back from being a middle of the pack team. However, once they shore up that defensive corps (perhaps by shipping away Sam Gagner, who is being totally wasted on that roster), they have the potential to be competitive, even this season.
If this is for real, and Nugent-Hopkins is already ready to be the first line center for the Oilers. This is going to be a very exciting season for the Oil. Devan Dubnyk is, in my opinion, a very competent goalie, and he has a good mentor in Nik Khabibulin who, despite his current lack of prowess, used to be quite the goalie. Taylor Hall, Magnus Pajaarvi-Svenson, and Jordan Eberle form the trifecta of exciting sophomore forwards heading into this season. I suppose you could also put Linus Omark in that category. There are also veterans like Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, and Ryan Smyth there to help foster the young talent. On the back end, the defense is anchored by Ryan Whitney, who, prior to his injury last season, was playing at a Norris Trophy worthy level. They also have the forgotten former Blackhawk Cam Barker, along with veteran Andy Sutton...alright so essentially the defensive corps is garbage. The defense is probably going to be the thing that holds the Oilers back from being a middle of the pack team. However, once they shore up that defensive corps (perhaps by shipping away Sam Gagner, who is being totally wasted on that roster), they have the potential to be competitive, even this season.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
For Some Reason People Think Tampa Is Going To Be Good
As the season rolls around, more and more writers are starting to release their predictions for the standings in the upcoming campaign. Naturally, there have been a few constants throughout these various predictions like the division winners, and the basement 3 or 4 teams. However, one thing that has confused me as I've read these articles is this- why is everyone ranking the Tampa Bay Lightning to place in front of the New York Rangers? The Lightning made few moves of note over the off-season other than signing a few castaway defensemen that no other teams wanted, while the Rangers made one of the biggest moves of the offseason in signing prized center Brad Richards, formerly of the Dallas Stars. In order to illustrate why exactly the Rangers will place above the Lightning in the standings, I will break each team down by offense, defense, goaltending, special teams, coaching, and depth.
Offense
Your initial reaction may be to say that the Lightning boast the better offense because of Stamkos, St. Louis, and Lecavelier. However, outside of those three, the Lightning don't necessarily have the scoring depth that the Rangers have. Stamkos will probably put up between 40 and 50 goals, while Vinny and St. Louis will probably pot between 25-32. Winger Ryan Malone will also be good for 20-25, and noted agitator Steve Downie could also put up 15 o4 20. The Rangers, though, have Richards, Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky, Anisimov, Stepan, and Boyle. All of those players put up at least 20 goals last year, and fans can expect those numbers to improve for Gaborik as he will now be paired with Richards, who put up 77 points in 72 games last year. Callahan can also expect better numbers after scoring 10 PPG's and putting up a point per game pace once coming back from a midseason injury before finally missing the playoffs with a broken ankle. With a full season under his belt, the newly anointed captain could be expected to put in anywhere from 25-30 goals while playing on the young, improving second line of Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, and himself. Thus, though the Lightning boast the greater star power, the Rangers clearly have the greater scoring depth.
Edge goes to: neither.
Defense
The Rangers have the better defensemen. Marc Staal was an All-Star last season, and logged 25:44 on average. His defensive partner, Dan Girardi, also logged north of 20 minutes, and was among the league leaders in blocked shots. The second pairing of Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer will only get better with age after leading the team in +/-. The third pairing is a bit shakier, though between hot shot prospect Tim Erixon, veteran Steve Eminger, and former rookie stud Michael Del Zotto, the Rangers should be fine at the third pairing. Regardless, some are concerned with the state of the defense now that Staal is experiencing post-concussion symptoms. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be a point of concern, as the Rangers have depth in the AHL, and will most likely look to acquire another veteran defenseman, perhaps Chris Campoli, formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Lightning also have some solid defenseman in former Blues' captain Eric Brewer, and rising star Victor Hedman. However, the bottom four are rounded out by Brett Clark, Pavel Kubina, Mattias Ohlund, and Marc-Andre Bergeron- not exactly the best bunch. The Lightning defense will be competent, and their personnel will most likely contribute to very strong PP numbers. However, the Rangers clearly have the better defensemen (and also have the benefit of playing in a defensively solid John Tortorella system).
Edge goes to: The Rangers.
Goaltending
You can say whatever you want about Dwayne Roloson's playoff run last season, his incredible athleticism, or his ability to split time with Mathieu Garon this season, but there is no denying that Henrik Lundqvist is better than him. I refuse to even cite specific examples as to why this is true because it is so self evident. Also, Martin Biron is a better backup than Garon is.
Edge goes to: The Rangers
Special Teams
Tampa Bay had the better powerplay and penalty kill last year statistically. The powerplay differential between the two teams was approximately 4%, with the Rangers operating at about 16.9% while the Bolts converted 20.5% of the time. This year, the Rangers can hope to bridge that gap thanks to the presence of Brad Richards, who many assume will be the unit's new quarterback. The emergence of youngsters Tim Erixon and Michael Del Zotto could also yield another point man. Regardless, Tampa Bay's powerplay will probably be better than New York's simply because its skill players are of a higher caliber, and Guy Boucher is a better coach than John Tortorella. Tampa's PK operated at a rate only .1% better than that of the Rangers, and so there's no reason to expect the two units shouldn't be equal again this year.
Edge goes to: The Lightning
Coaching
Though Torts won a Stanley Cup in Tampa, and Boucher is only a second-year coach, I don't think there's any question who the better coach is, at least right now. Tortorella is demanding, has a great record, and is a very good coach. Guy Boucher is a genius, who runs a 1-3-1 forecheck, and has some of the most unique systems and special teams plays of anyone in the league. Both teams have great coaching. But I have to give the edge to the Lightning.
Edge goes to: The Lightning
Depth
The Rangers, as explained previously, are deeper. They're also younger. The team has four players over the age of thirty: Ruslan Fedotenko, Martin Biron, Sean Avery, and Mike Rupp. The Lightning have: Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Pavel Kubina, Dwayne Roloson, Mathieu Garon, Mattias Ohlund, Eric Brewer, Brett Clark, Ryan Malone, Dominic Moore, and Adam Hall. Now there are many that would argue that that experience will benefit the Lightning and will help them place higher than the Rangers. But that's not how I see it. I see it as a sign that this team did nothing over the offseason except let its already aged team get even older. Who knows if Roloson will hold up? Who knows if Lecavalier can still put up 25 goals? Who knows if Boucher's coaching will be enough to compensate for the lack of speed in the team's defensive corps? The Rangers are deep, have one of the best goalies in the NHL, and finally have a real first line center.
Edge goes to: The Rangers
The Rangers should place higher than the Lightning if everything goes as it should. And even if it doesn't, they're still more aptly designed for playoff success. Regardless, only time will tell.
Offense
Your initial reaction may be to say that the Lightning boast the better offense because of Stamkos, St. Louis, and Lecavelier. However, outside of those three, the Lightning don't necessarily have the scoring depth that the Rangers have. Stamkos will probably put up between 40 and 50 goals, while Vinny and St. Louis will probably pot between 25-32. Winger Ryan Malone will also be good for 20-25, and noted agitator Steve Downie could also put up 15 o4 20. The Rangers, though, have Richards, Gaborik, Callahan, Dubinsky, Anisimov, Stepan, and Boyle. All of those players put up at least 20 goals last year, and fans can expect those numbers to improve for Gaborik as he will now be paired with Richards, who put up 77 points in 72 games last year. Callahan can also expect better numbers after scoring 10 PPG's and putting up a point per game pace once coming back from a midseason injury before finally missing the playoffs with a broken ankle. With a full season under his belt, the newly anointed captain could be expected to put in anywhere from 25-30 goals while playing on the young, improving second line of Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, and himself. Thus, though the Lightning boast the greater star power, the Rangers clearly have the greater scoring depth.
Edge goes to: neither.
Defense
The Rangers have the better defensemen. Marc Staal was an All-Star last season, and logged 25:44 on average. His defensive partner, Dan Girardi, also logged north of 20 minutes, and was among the league leaders in blocked shots. The second pairing of Ryan McDonagh and Mike Sauer will only get better with age after leading the team in +/-. The third pairing is a bit shakier, though between hot shot prospect Tim Erixon, veteran Steve Eminger, and former rookie stud Michael Del Zotto, the Rangers should be fine at the third pairing. Regardless, some are concerned with the state of the defense now that Staal is experiencing post-concussion symptoms. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be a point of concern, as the Rangers have depth in the AHL, and will most likely look to acquire another veteran defenseman, perhaps Chris Campoli, formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks. The Lightning also have some solid defenseman in former Blues' captain Eric Brewer, and rising star Victor Hedman. However, the bottom four are rounded out by Brett Clark, Pavel Kubina, Mattias Ohlund, and Marc-Andre Bergeron- not exactly the best bunch. The Lightning defense will be competent, and their personnel will most likely contribute to very strong PP numbers. However, the Rangers clearly have the better defensemen (and also have the benefit of playing in a defensively solid John Tortorella system).
Edge goes to: The Rangers.
Goaltending
You can say whatever you want about Dwayne Roloson's playoff run last season, his incredible athleticism, or his ability to split time with Mathieu Garon this season, but there is no denying that Henrik Lundqvist is better than him. I refuse to even cite specific examples as to why this is true because it is so self evident. Also, Martin Biron is a better backup than Garon is.
Edge goes to: The Rangers
Special Teams
Tampa Bay had the better powerplay and penalty kill last year statistically. The powerplay differential between the two teams was approximately 4%, with the Rangers operating at about 16.9% while the Bolts converted 20.5% of the time. This year, the Rangers can hope to bridge that gap thanks to the presence of Brad Richards, who many assume will be the unit's new quarterback. The emergence of youngsters Tim Erixon and Michael Del Zotto could also yield another point man. Regardless, Tampa Bay's powerplay will probably be better than New York's simply because its skill players are of a higher caliber, and Guy Boucher is a better coach than John Tortorella. Tampa's PK operated at a rate only .1% better than that of the Rangers, and so there's no reason to expect the two units shouldn't be equal again this year.
Edge goes to: The Lightning
Coaching
Though Torts won a Stanley Cup in Tampa, and Boucher is only a second-year coach, I don't think there's any question who the better coach is, at least right now. Tortorella is demanding, has a great record, and is a very good coach. Guy Boucher is a genius, who runs a 1-3-1 forecheck, and has some of the most unique systems and special teams plays of anyone in the league. Both teams have great coaching. But I have to give the edge to the Lightning.
Edge goes to: The Lightning
Depth
The Rangers, as explained previously, are deeper. They're also younger. The team has four players over the age of thirty: Ruslan Fedotenko, Martin Biron, Sean Avery, and Mike Rupp. The Lightning have: Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Pavel Kubina, Dwayne Roloson, Mathieu Garon, Mattias Ohlund, Eric Brewer, Brett Clark, Ryan Malone, Dominic Moore, and Adam Hall. Now there are many that would argue that that experience will benefit the Lightning and will help them place higher than the Rangers. But that's not how I see it. I see it as a sign that this team did nothing over the offseason except let its already aged team get even older. Who knows if Roloson will hold up? Who knows if Lecavalier can still put up 25 goals? Who knows if Boucher's coaching will be enough to compensate for the lack of speed in the team's defensive corps? The Rangers are deep, have one of the best goalies in the NHL, and finally have a real first line center.
Edge goes to: The Rangers
The Rangers should place higher than the Lightning if everything goes as it should. And even if it doesn't, they're still more aptly designed for playoff success. Regardless, only time will tell.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
No Mr. Wyshynski, The Weber Arbitration Was Not Good For Hockey
On this glorious Sunday, August 14, 2011, Greg Wyshynski of the Yahoo! Hockey Blog "Puck Daddy" wrote a brief article on why Shea Weber's arbitration hearing was good for hockey and the NHL. The link to it is here if you want to read it, but in case you're lazy like I am, here is the gist of it. It was a good arbitration hearing because the player received fair compensation. Arbitration is meant to be an incentive to get deals done, and usually ends up with a player getting low-balled, which isn't fair to the player.
Thinking that this hearing was good for anybody (other than Shea Weber), however, is a fallacy. Regardless of whether it reinforced the role of arbitration in negotiating fair deals, it hurt the actual, tangible NHL. Sure on some abstract level this may prove that the processes that the league implements are effective, but this hearing itself is going to have negative impacts in a way that extends beyond labor negotiations. Firstly, it's going to increase wages. Many have written about how, because Weber is so good, he has no comparable, and thus won't be used as precedent in future negotiations. That is, to put it politely, bullshit. Perhaps in arbitration he won't be listed, but do you really think that Luke Schenn, current RFA of the Toronto Maple Leafs, didn't see that award and decide to maybe up his price a little bit? Though the Weber contract may not affect arbitration hearings, it's definitely going to affect UFA signings, RFA signings, and even contract structure. Granted, Weber is among the five best defenseman in the league, along with Zdeno Chara, Drew Doughty, Niklas Lidstrom, and Duncan Keith. However, with a $7.5 million dollar cap hit, you're going to see the base salary of elite defenseman go up. For example, Marc Staal of the New York Rangers is signed to under $4 million dollars a year in cap hit. Once his current contract his up, considering that his new contract will involve UFA years and that he has been the Rangers top defenseman, there is no way he will sign for anything less than $5.5 million dollars. Obviously, the cap increases annually, and so salaries do inevitably get inflated over time. Nevertheless, this Weber deal could inadvertently spark a serious increase in wages for defensemen.
Secondly, it's bad for small market teams. The precedent set by the deal is bad for small market teams as they can't afford to pay talent that much money. However, that isn't as big of an issue. The bigger issue here is that Nashville has been the poster boy for a) winning consistently on a budget and b) successfully operating in a so-called "non traditional" market. A one-year deal for Weber not only removes stability from the franchise, it also raises concerns for future UFA's for the team. The team's core- goalie Pekka Rinne, defenseman Ryan Suter, and defenseman Shea Weber- is going to be on the free agent market in the same season. Locking up Weber would have provided incentive for Rinne and Suter to stick around. Now, however, that incentive is gone, as none of them will have assurance that the others are sticking around. This puts Nashville in a bit of a pickle. It raises questions about the franchise's future success, which hurts fan confidence and community interest, and it also may lead to a dangerous spending spree. According to a few lists that have come out recently, Nashville has one of the worst pipelines in the NHL right now. They don't have enough prospects to fill Weber's (and possibly Suter's and Rinne's) shoes right now. The smart money would have been to expand on last year's success by making a splash in the free agent market. Barry Trotz is a great coach, and the team is set in goal and on the blue line. Acquiring a few more scorers would have capitalized on the excitement that the franchise built during its playoff run last year. Now, instead, they have lost free agents, they have been forced to trade away Cody Franson in a salary dumping move, and are about to head into a season that will most likely determine Nashville's future for the next couple of years.
If Nashville begins to tank, either financially or competitively, it will hurt the League's reputation. It will mean that the Sunbelt Experiment failed. It will also cast a dark shadow on the futures of other small market teams, especially if Weber leaves and finds success elsewhere. So was the hearing itself good for hockey? Sure. It proved that arbitration does what it's supposed to. But was the hearing's product good? Not at all. Let's just hope that Weber truly turns out to have none comparable to him, or else things could begin to get even tougher for the NHL's small market franchises.
Thinking that this hearing was good for anybody (other than Shea Weber), however, is a fallacy. Regardless of whether it reinforced the role of arbitration in negotiating fair deals, it hurt the actual, tangible NHL. Sure on some abstract level this may prove that the processes that the league implements are effective, but this hearing itself is going to have negative impacts in a way that extends beyond labor negotiations. Firstly, it's going to increase wages. Many have written about how, because Weber is so good, he has no comparable, and thus won't be used as precedent in future negotiations. That is, to put it politely, bullshit. Perhaps in arbitration he won't be listed, but do you really think that Luke Schenn, current RFA of the Toronto Maple Leafs, didn't see that award and decide to maybe up his price a little bit? Though the Weber contract may not affect arbitration hearings, it's definitely going to affect UFA signings, RFA signings, and even contract structure. Granted, Weber is among the five best defenseman in the league, along with Zdeno Chara, Drew Doughty, Niklas Lidstrom, and Duncan Keith. However, with a $7.5 million dollar cap hit, you're going to see the base salary of elite defenseman go up. For example, Marc Staal of the New York Rangers is signed to under $4 million dollars a year in cap hit. Once his current contract his up, considering that his new contract will involve UFA years and that he has been the Rangers top defenseman, there is no way he will sign for anything less than $5.5 million dollars. Obviously, the cap increases annually, and so salaries do inevitably get inflated over time. Nevertheless, this Weber deal could inadvertently spark a serious increase in wages for defensemen.
Secondly, it's bad for small market teams. The precedent set by the deal is bad for small market teams as they can't afford to pay talent that much money. However, that isn't as big of an issue. The bigger issue here is that Nashville has been the poster boy for a) winning consistently on a budget and b) successfully operating in a so-called "non traditional" market. A one-year deal for Weber not only removes stability from the franchise, it also raises concerns for future UFA's for the team. The team's core- goalie Pekka Rinne, defenseman Ryan Suter, and defenseman Shea Weber- is going to be on the free agent market in the same season. Locking up Weber would have provided incentive for Rinne and Suter to stick around. Now, however, that incentive is gone, as none of them will have assurance that the others are sticking around. This puts Nashville in a bit of a pickle. It raises questions about the franchise's future success, which hurts fan confidence and community interest, and it also may lead to a dangerous spending spree. According to a few lists that have come out recently, Nashville has one of the worst pipelines in the NHL right now. They don't have enough prospects to fill Weber's (and possibly Suter's and Rinne's) shoes right now. The smart money would have been to expand on last year's success by making a splash in the free agent market. Barry Trotz is a great coach, and the team is set in goal and on the blue line. Acquiring a few more scorers would have capitalized on the excitement that the franchise built during its playoff run last year. Now, instead, they have lost free agents, they have been forced to trade away Cody Franson in a salary dumping move, and are about to head into a season that will most likely determine Nashville's future for the next couple of years.
If Nashville begins to tank, either financially or competitively, it will hurt the League's reputation. It will mean that the Sunbelt Experiment failed. It will also cast a dark shadow on the futures of other small market teams, especially if Weber leaves and finds success elsewhere. So was the hearing itself good for hockey? Sure. It proved that arbitration does what it's supposed to. But was the hearing's product good? Not at all. Let's just hope that Weber truly turns out to have none comparable to him, or else things could begin to get even tougher for the NHL's small market franchises.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Top Five Impact Free Agent Signings
This hasn't been the most eventful of off-seasons, however there's no doubting that a few teams have made forays into the free agent market that are going to significantly impact those team's on field product. For the sake of this article, I'm going to ignore all trades, and all free agent signings where the player re-signed with the team. After all, I do need something to write about for the rest of the summer.
Note: RFA moves have been left out. Players like Ilya Bryzgalov will not be on this list because assets were exchanged for the negotiating rights with those players. As a result, they're not really Free Agent signings because the signings are directly related to other trades and transactions.
1. Brad Richards-C- New York Rangers
Has any team's profile been changed as much by one signing in recent memory (and by recent memory, I mean like in the last three seasons)? In the 10-11 campaign, the Rangers were a lot like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen- competent and entertaining, yet clearly not as dominant, flashy, or prestigious as, say, the Justice League. Now, however, things certainly seem to be changing for the Rangers. They have a big-bodied center that can not only improve the game of enigmatic winger Marian Gaborik, they have a skilled forward who is going to free up a lot of defensive pressure from a young, developing second line. If the Rangers roll Gabby and Richie on the first line, and keep Cally and Dubi on the second line, the Rangers will have something long unknown to Rangers fans- scoring depth. There are some detractions from the signing- Dubinsky may need to play left wing on the top line in order to improve upon the defensive ability and grittiness of the unit, and the length of the contract may serve to handicap the Rangers in the semi-near future. However, for at least the next two to three years, the Rangers have their core together with an extremely talented winger and a skilled playmaking center.
2. James Wisniewski-D- Columbus Blue Jackets
Referring to defense in the same sentence as the name Columbus Blue Jackets is like mentioning Brad Pitt positively in a sentence discussing how much you dislike pretentiously thoughtful film-making.
The Wisniewski signing, however, changes all of that. Not only does the Wiz boost the quality, experience, and depth of the BJ's blue line, it also improves the team's offensive capabilities. He can improve the breakout with his ability to move the puck, he can facilitate offense from the blue line during five on five situations, and he can quarterback the powerplay- an area of serious concern for the Blue Jackets heading into this offseason. Hopefully having the journeyman defenseman in the locker room will add some maturity and experience to a roster that hasn't seen too much success. Who knows? Maybe his presence will even help young goalie Steve Mason rediscover the form of his Calder winning rookie season (it won't).
3. Semyon Varlamov-G- Colorado Avalanche
This move isn't as significant in its immediate impact as much as it is in its potential long-term impact. Varlamov has come off an underwhelming couple of seasons with the Washington Capitals. The injury bug has not treated him kindly, and as a result we have yet to see how viable Varlamov is as a true number one, franchise goalie. Regardless, Varlamov clearly has talent. If he can stay healthy, play 60 or so games, and put up a save percentage above .910 and a GAA below 2.7, I think this move will be seen as a victory. The road will undoubtedly be hard for him- he is, after all, playing behind the defensive corps of the Colorado Avalanche. Still, if Varlamov works out, the Avs could have a solid corps of Erik Johnson, Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, and Semyon Varlamov to work around.
4. Erik Cole-LW- Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens' offensive woes are no secret. They have plenty of top six forwards, they just happen to all be well-suited to the second line. Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller- not exactly a group of offensive dynamos. The addition of Erik Cole should help with that, however. He's not going to take on entire defenses by himself- he's not that type of player. Nevertheless, he will definitely add a grittiness and an edge to to the Canadiens' offense by playing in that power forward role that the Canadiens have not had in the last two seasons. Max Pacioretty, assuming he recovers from his injury in time to participate in camp, will also add those same qualities to the offense with his 6' 2", 203 pound frame. This signing should juice the offense, and should give the Canadiens more flexibility with their top two lines. Still, Cole is hardly a sure thing- prior to this season his last 20 goal campaign was in 07-08.
5. Tomas Kaberle-D- Carolina Hurricanes
No one believes that Tomas Kaberle is still the same offensive dynamo that he was a few years ago in Toronto. He was essentially a spectator during the Bruins' Cup run, and he only had 9 points in 24 games for the Bruins last season. Still, overall he put up 47 points, and should do a lot to a) improve the Hurricanes' powerplay, b) add a veteran presence to the locker room, and c) bolster the blue line. Even if he's not a game breaker anymore, Tomas Kaberle is a good signing. Though, in my opinion, the Hurricanes needed to do more at forward than they did at blue line, this is a signing that will both improve the defense and improve the offense.
Note: RFA moves have been left out. Players like Ilya Bryzgalov will not be on this list because assets were exchanged for the negotiating rights with those players. As a result, they're not really Free Agent signings because the signings are directly related to other trades and transactions.
1. Brad Richards-C- New York Rangers
Has any team's profile been changed as much by one signing in recent memory (and by recent memory, I mean like in the last three seasons)? In the 10-11 campaign, the Rangers were a lot like the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen- competent and entertaining, yet clearly not as dominant, flashy, or prestigious as, say, the Justice League. Now, however, things certainly seem to be changing for the Rangers. They have a big-bodied center that can not only improve the game of enigmatic winger Marian Gaborik, they have a skilled forward who is going to free up a lot of defensive pressure from a young, developing second line. If the Rangers roll Gabby and Richie on the first line, and keep Cally and Dubi on the second line, the Rangers will have something long unknown to Rangers fans- scoring depth. There are some detractions from the signing- Dubinsky may need to play left wing on the top line in order to improve upon the defensive ability and grittiness of the unit, and the length of the contract may serve to handicap the Rangers in the semi-near future. However, for at least the next two to three years, the Rangers have their core together with an extremely talented winger and a skilled playmaking center.
2. James Wisniewski-D- Columbus Blue Jackets
Referring to defense in the same sentence as the name Columbus Blue Jackets is like mentioning Brad Pitt positively in a sentence discussing how much you dislike pretentiously thoughtful film-making.
The Wisniewski signing, however, changes all of that. Not only does the Wiz boost the quality, experience, and depth of the BJ's blue line, it also improves the team's offensive capabilities. He can improve the breakout with his ability to move the puck, he can facilitate offense from the blue line during five on five situations, and he can quarterback the powerplay- an area of serious concern for the Blue Jackets heading into this offseason. Hopefully having the journeyman defenseman in the locker room will add some maturity and experience to a roster that hasn't seen too much success. Who knows? Maybe his presence will even help young goalie Steve Mason rediscover the form of his Calder winning rookie season (it won't).
3. Semyon Varlamov-G- Colorado Avalanche
This move isn't as significant in its immediate impact as much as it is in its potential long-term impact. Varlamov has come off an underwhelming couple of seasons with the Washington Capitals. The injury bug has not treated him kindly, and as a result we have yet to see how viable Varlamov is as a true number one, franchise goalie. Regardless, Varlamov clearly has talent. If he can stay healthy, play 60 or so games, and put up a save percentage above .910 and a GAA below 2.7, I think this move will be seen as a victory. The road will undoubtedly be hard for him- he is, after all, playing behind the defensive corps of the Colorado Avalanche. Still, if Varlamov works out, the Avs could have a solid corps of Erik Johnson, Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, and Semyon Varlamov to work around.
4. Erik Cole-LW- Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens' offensive woes are no secret. They have plenty of top six forwards, they just happen to all be well-suited to the second line. Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller- not exactly a group of offensive dynamos. The addition of Erik Cole should help with that, however. He's not going to take on entire defenses by himself- he's not that type of player. Nevertheless, he will definitely add a grittiness and an edge to to the Canadiens' offense by playing in that power forward role that the Canadiens have not had in the last two seasons. Max Pacioretty, assuming he recovers from his injury in time to participate in camp, will also add those same qualities to the offense with his 6' 2", 203 pound frame. This signing should juice the offense, and should give the Canadiens more flexibility with their top two lines. Still, Cole is hardly a sure thing- prior to this season his last 20 goal campaign was in 07-08.
5. Tomas Kaberle-D- Carolina Hurricanes
No one believes that Tomas Kaberle is still the same offensive dynamo that he was a few years ago in Toronto. He was essentially a spectator during the Bruins' Cup run, and he only had 9 points in 24 games for the Bruins last season. Still, overall he put up 47 points, and should do a lot to a) improve the Hurricanes' powerplay, b) add a veteran presence to the locker room, and c) bolster the blue line. Even if he's not a game breaker anymore, Tomas Kaberle is a good signing. Though, in my opinion, the Hurricanes needed to do more at forward than they did at blue line, this is a signing that will both improve the defense and improve the offense.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Five Teams With The Best Off-Season Moves
The off-season is never particularly fun for fans of any sport. However, there is something to be said for the excitement of off-season transactions and signings. This summer, a lot of teams seemed content to sit back and maintain their previous rosters. Nevertheless, there were a few moves that raised eyebrows and seriously shook up rosters. Here are the five teams with best off-season moves:
5. Minnesota Wild
Minnesota seriously struggled to score goals during the 2010-11 campaign. As a result, the additions of Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi have to be seen as great acquisitions for the Wild. Both players are top six offensive forwards, and Dany Heatley has the potential to pot 40 goals when he's playing like himself. These additions are made even better by the fact that they cost relatively little. Dany Heatley was traded in a one for one transaction with Martin Havlat. I don't care what your opinion of Martin Havlat or Dany Heatley is, there is no denying that that is an upgrade for the Wild. To get Setoguchi the Wild had to give up Brent Burns, however they also received Charlie Coyle and a first round pick in the deal. With these two moves, the Wild really boost their offensive prospects for the coming season. Putting Heatley with Koivu on the first line, and Setoguchi with Bouchard on the second line could potentially yield a dangerously deep offense for this season. Good moves, but the Wild will still need to do more to move beyond a seventh or eighth seed at best.
4. Washington Capitals
The Capitals needed to improve the grit, work ethic, and defensive prowess of the roster this year. They did a lot to change the culture by letting free agents Matt Bradley and Boyd Gordon walk. Trading center Eric Fehr also helped remove some of the cancer of previous years' failures. The Caps improved their goaltending situation by brining in veteran stud Tomas Vokoun, and parting ways with perennially injured question mark Semyon Varlamov. New additions Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer bring speed and grit to the forward position (thought they overpaid for Ward), while Roman Hamrlik could be a good veteran presence both on the ice and off it. I personally think that Hamrlik is a slow, slightly washed up defenseman that lacks toughness, but his presence may do a lot to help youngsters Karl Alzner and John Carlsson. The addition of Jeff Halpern adds depth at center, and should help with face-offs. However, his presence does not do enough to improve the situation at second pivot. If Marcus Johansson doesn't make a big jump, the Capitals offense may sputter once again without anybody to anchor the second line.
2. Los Angeles Kings
They gave up a lot for him, but the acquisition of Mike Richards has the potential to vault the Kings into being legitimate Cup contenders. Gritty winger Wayne Simmonds and smooth, skilled prospect Brayden Schenn are both gone from the organization, yet in their place the Kings have a 1-2 punch at center that is going to be very dangerous. Furthermore, they upgraded at left wing by shipping out Ryan Smyth and signing sniper Simon Gagne who, despite coming off of a slow season, has the potential to score 30+ goals this season either on a line with Anze Kopitar or Mike Richards. Colin Fraser, if healthy, might also improve the team's defensive depth at forward, yet I would not count on his health, personally.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
Like the Kings, the Blue Jackets made off-season moves that significantly altered their identity as an organization. Though they're not contenders just yet, the acquisitions of Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski, and Vinny Prospal bring serious legitimacy to the Blue Jackets' playoff hopes this year. Carter is a solid goal scorer and he's going to complement star winger Rick Nash very well. Wisniewski will stabilize the blue line, and improve the powerplay significantly once he starts to quarterback it. Vinny Prospal adds a veteran presence that will improve the culture of the locker room, and the powerplay. All in all, Columbus' offense and special teams will look much improved. Thus, although the Kings' moves are arguably more significant, Columbus deserves to tie for the number two spot due to the magnitude of the moves. It's been a long time since big names have been in Columbus.
1. Florida Panthers
Tomas Fleischmann, Jose Theodore, Kris Versteeg, Sean Bergenheim, Ed Jovanovski, Marcel Goc, Scottie Upshall, Matt Bradley, and Brian Campbell all came into the fold this summer for the Panthers. That's nine new players, all of whom will most likely make the final roster for the regular season. Though the team may not be a Cup contender (or even a playoff team) these moves make Florida significant for the first time in years. They overpaid for some (Scottie Upshall- 3 years, $14 million??????), yet the value of adding this many players can't be understated. If the Panthers can scrape together some wins this season, and if youngsters Erik Gudbranson and Jacob Markstrom prove to be the real deal (assuming they make the roster), this could mean big things for the future of the Panthers. Add in the draft that the organization is coming off of, things could finally be looking up for the Florida Panthers....emphasis on could.
5. Minnesota Wild
Minnesota seriously struggled to score goals during the 2010-11 campaign. As a result, the additions of Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi have to be seen as great acquisitions for the Wild. Both players are top six offensive forwards, and Dany Heatley has the potential to pot 40 goals when he's playing like himself. These additions are made even better by the fact that they cost relatively little. Dany Heatley was traded in a one for one transaction with Martin Havlat. I don't care what your opinion of Martin Havlat or Dany Heatley is, there is no denying that that is an upgrade for the Wild. To get Setoguchi the Wild had to give up Brent Burns, however they also received Charlie Coyle and a first round pick in the deal. With these two moves, the Wild really boost their offensive prospects for the coming season. Putting Heatley with Koivu on the first line, and Setoguchi with Bouchard on the second line could potentially yield a dangerously deep offense for this season. Good moves, but the Wild will still need to do more to move beyond a seventh or eighth seed at best.
4. Washington Capitals
The Capitals needed to improve the grit, work ethic, and defensive prowess of the roster this year. They did a lot to change the culture by letting free agents Matt Bradley and Boyd Gordon walk. Trading center Eric Fehr also helped remove some of the cancer of previous years' failures. The Caps improved their goaltending situation by brining in veteran stud Tomas Vokoun, and parting ways with perennially injured question mark Semyon Varlamov. New additions Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer bring speed and grit to the forward position (thought they overpaid for Ward), while Roman Hamrlik could be a good veteran presence both on the ice and off it. I personally think that Hamrlik is a slow, slightly washed up defenseman that lacks toughness, but his presence may do a lot to help youngsters Karl Alzner and John Carlsson. The addition of Jeff Halpern adds depth at center, and should help with face-offs. However, his presence does not do enough to improve the situation at second pivot. If Marcus Johansson doesn't make a big jump, the Capitals offense may sputter once again without anybody to anchor the second line.
2. Los Angeles Kings
They gave up a lot for him, but the acquisition of Mike Richards has the potential to vault the Kings into being legitimate Cup contenders. Gritty winger Wayne Simmonds and smooth, skilled prospect Brayden Schenn are both gone from the organization, yet in their place the Kings have a 1-2 punch at center that is going to be very dangerous. Furthermore, they upgraded at left wing by shipping out Ryan Smyth and signing sniper Simon Gagne who, despite coming off of a slow season, has the potential to score 30+ goals this season either on a line with Anze Kopitar or Mike Richards. Colin Fraser, if healthy, might also improve the team's defensive depth at forward, yet I would not count on his health, personally.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
Like the Kings, the Blue Jackets made off-season moves that significantly altered their identity as an organization. Though they're not contenders just yet, the acquisitions of Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski, and Vinny Prospal bring serious legitimacy to the Blue Jackets' playoff hopes this year. Carter is a solid goal scorer and he's going to complement star winger Rick Nash very well. Wisniewski will stabilize the blue line, and improve the powerplay significantly once he starts to quarterback it. Vinny Prospal adds a veteran presence that will improve the culture of the locker room, and the powerplay. All in all, Columbus' offense and special teams will look much improved. Thus, although the Kings' moves are arguably more significant, Columbus deserves to tie for the number two spot due to the magnitude of the moves. It's been a long time since big names have been in Columbus.
1. Florida Panthers
Tomas Fleischmann, Jose Theodore, Kris Versteeg, Sean Bergenheim, Ed Jovanovski, Marcel Goc, Scottie Upshall, Matt Bradley, and Brian Campbell all came into the fold this summer for the Panthers. That's nine new players, all of whom will most likely make the final roster for the regular season. Though the team may not be a Cup contender (or even a playoff team) these moves make Florida significant for the first time in years. They overpaid for some (Scottie Upshall- 3 years, $14 million??????), yet the value of adding this many players can't be understated. If the Panthers can scrape together some wins this season, and if youngsters Erik Gudbranson and Jacob Markstrom prove to be the real deal (assuming they make the roster), this could mean big things for the future of the Panthers. Add in the draft that the organization is coming off of, things could finally be looking up for the Florida Panthers....emphasis on could.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
What's Next For the Washington Capitals?
The Capitals got swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round, making it four consecutive years without an appearance in the conference finals. Many pegged this year's Capitals to reach the land never before touched by this Washington group- they had switched to a more defensively responsible system, blocked shots, hit more, grinded, and dispatched the gritty New York Rangers in a meager five games. However, there were a few warning signs that a meltdown of these proportions would occur in the second round of these playoffs. Firstly, Tampa gained confidence in the first round by beating the stingy and deep Pittsburgh Penguins in a series that lasted seven games. Secondly, Tampa managed to do it without adding too much weight of expectation to their Cup run, a problem that more than significantly plagued the Caps' ability to perform past the first round.
Yet the problems with the Caps stemmed from a problem that was deeper than simply the matchup against the Lightning. Against the Rangers, the Capitals were labeled as "patient," "defensively oriented," and "mature." I'll tell you what it should have been- "passive," "offensively challenged," and to an extent, "scared." The Capitals were fine waiting for the Rangers in the first round because they could afford to. They are much more talented than the Rangers, and without Ryan Callahan, that became even more true. They didn't have to face adversity, and they didn't have to face an offense that would challenge their new scheme. But even with all of these things being true, it still begs the question: What exactly is wrong with the Washington Capitals? The simple answer is character.
Everyone cited the team's big losing streak in December as a turning point in the team's history. They were faced with adversity, and changed to meet it and overcome it. However, it still took them seven losses to do so. In the playoffs, all you need is four and you go home. Boudreau, at the time of the streak, addressed the team's character, asking them if they were a bunch of prima dona's that had never faced adversity before. He said, "Nobody wants someone feeling sorry for themselves." And that characterizes this group better than any other phrase. This group looks at pressure, and cracks. It wants to crack. It's easier to break under duress than to thrive. Most people would do the same thing. But most people don't get paid millions of dollars. This group simply can't win together. They don't have the collective mental fortitude. So if your the Caps, what do you do?
1. Get a Work Horse
The Blackhawks have Duncan Keith, the Los Angeles Kings have Drew Doughty, the Red Wings have Nick Lidstrom, the Predators have Shea Weber, the Rangers have Marc Staal, the Flyers have Chris Pronger etc. In the playoffs, you need a strong, gritty defenseman that is going to be able to eat up at least 25 minutes a night. Who do the Capitals have that fits that mold? Scott Hannan? He was alive before skates were made. Mike Green? He's Mike Green. John Carlson? He's 22. Jeff Schultz? No. The Capitals need to trade for (or sign) a free agent that is going to fill the hole on their roster.
2. Pick a Goalie
Pick one of the goalies and stick with him. It looks like Neuvirth's taken the reigns based on his frequency in net in the latter part of the season. If he is in fact the choice, then excellent. Trade Varlamov. He's got value on the market- don't let it go to waste. Philly needs a tender (though I think Bobrovsky is their minder of the future), as does Tampa Bay, Colorado, Edmonton, New Jersey, and arguably Columbus. The Capitals need to capitalize (punnnnnnnn) on the value that's already in the system.
3. Let the Free Agents Walk
Sorry Brooks Laich, I think you're a very good hockey player, but you need to go. You've been a Washington Capital for every year of disappointment, and I do think that you're part of the problem. Same goes for Jason Chimera, though I think that he has a year or two left on his contract. Either way, if I were the Capitals, I would be getting rid of every single player on the roster not named Alex Ovechkin or Mike Knuble. Ovie did his part this year. Now he needs a supporting cast that will match his intensity. The first part of fulfilling that burden is letting some guys walk away.
4. Sign Grittier Players and Stress that the team is now a "New Group"
Look at Tampa this year. The group is generally the same as it was last year. But add in a few new names, and a new coach, and all of a sudden the whole culture changes. Now I'm not saying that the Caps need to get a new coach. In fact, I think that Boudreau's attitude is very much congruent with the kind of grittiness that the team needs to adopt. There are plenty of free agent defensemen that will be available this off season, though I would assume that many of them like Ian White, Niclas Wallin, and Tomas Kaberle will choose to stay with their present contenders. Regardless, there are still a couple of guys that will be on the market that can beef up the Caps defensive corps (both blueliners and forwards). Guys like Jim Vandermeer and Brent Sopel can add toughness and experience to the blue line (though they won't add much speed), and a guy like the Canadiens' James Wisniewski can be a good two way defenseman that can eat up time on both special teams units. The Caps will still have to trade for that workhorse. However, they can complement their defenseman well through free agency.
On the forward side, I'd re-sign Jason Arnott because he's a good veteran to have in the locker room (although I'd definitely let Johansson take over the second pivot next year). Outside of him, let them all walk. Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon, and Matt Bradley should all hit the road to make space for new blood. There are plenty of grinders that will be on the market. If I were the Caps, I'd be dipping into that pool a little bit to try and get some players with some grit. And you hate to say it, but I'd look for some players that can tend to lean towards goonery. You hate to advocate play like that, but at the end of the day, a guy like Ben Eager makes your team meaner. And you need to be mean to win in the playoffs. With that being said, I don't think that the Caps' problems are entirely in the bottom six, although in the Tampa series they were far too loose defensively. I think as much as you need to add grit and defensive capability to the bottom six, the Capitals need some middle six forwards that can score while being aggressive and focused. One player who will be a free agent next season that screams good intangibles along with concrete scoring is Carolina's Erik Cole. Now would he leave Carolina to join a divisional rival? I highly doubt it. However, it's those kind of guys that the Caps really need right now.
All in all, here's what I would do concretely.
Trade Semyon Varlamov and acquire a workhorse defenseman.
(I'm thinking Caps send Varlamov and a second rounder to the Devils for Anton Volchenkov).
Let Brooks Laich and Boyd Gordon walk, consider keeping Matt Bradley.
Target the following free agents:
Scott Hannan
Jason Arnott
Jim Vandermeer
Brent Sopel
James Wisniewski
Niclas Wallin
Ian White
Ville Leino
Freddy Sjostrom
Ben Eager
Sean Bergenheim
Adam Hall
Jeff Halpern
Patrick Eaves
Aaron Asham
Rob Niedermayer
Yet the problems with the Caps stemmed from a problem that was deeper than simply the matchup against the Lightning. Against the Rangers, the Capitals were labeled as "patient," "defensively oriented," and "mature." I'll tell you what it should have been- "passive," "offensively challenged," and to an extent, "scared." The Capitals were fine waiting for the Rangers in the first round because they could afford to. They are much more talented than the Rangers, and without Ryan Callahan, that became even more true. They didn't have to face adversity, and they didn't have to face an offense that would challenge their new scheme. But even with all of these things being true, it still begs the question: What exactly is wrong with the Washington Capitals? The simple answer is character.
Everyone cited the team's big losing streak in December as a turning point in the team's history. They were faced with adversity, and changed to meet it and overcome it. However, it still took them seven losses to do so. In the playoffs, all you need is four and you go home. Boudreau, at the time of the streak, addressed the team's character, asking them if they were a bunch of prima dona's that had never faced adversity before. He said, "Nobody wants someone feeling sorry for themselves." And that characterizes this group better than any other phrase. This group looks at pressure, and cracks. It wants to crack. It's easier to break under duress than to thrive. Most people would do the same thing. But most people don't get paid millions of dollars. This group simply can't win together. They don't have the collective mental fortitude. So if your the Caps, what do you do?
1. Get a Work Horse
The Blackhawks have Duncan Keith, the Los Angeles Kings have Drew Doughty, the Red Wings have Nick Lidstrom, the Predators have Shea Weber, the Rangers have Marc Staal, the Flyers have Chris Pronger etc. In the playoffs, you need a strong, gritty defenseman that is going to be able to eat up at least 25 minutes a night. Who do the Capitals have that fits that mold? Scott Hannan? He was alive before skates were made. Mike Green? He's Mike Green. John Carlson? He's 22. Jeff Schultz? No. The Capitals need to trade for (or sign) a free agent that is going to fill the hole on their roster.
2. Pick a Goalie
Pick one of the goalies and stick with him. It looks like Neuvirth's taken the reigns based on his frequency in net in the latter part of the season. If he is in fact the choice, then excellent. Trade Varlamov. He's got value on the market- don't let it go to waste. Philly needs a tender (though I think Bobrovsky is their minder of the future), as does Tampa Bay, Colorado, Edmonton, New Jersey, and arguably Columbus. The Capitals need to capitalize (punnnnnnnn) on the value that's already in the system.
3. Let the Free Agents Walk
Sorry Brooks Laich, I think you're a very good hockey player, but you need to go. You've been a Washington Capital for every year of disappointment, and I do think that you're part of the problem. Same goes for Jason Chimera, though I think that he has a year or two left on his contract. Either way, if I were the Capitals, I would be getting rid of every single player on the roster not named Alex Ovechkin or Mike Knuble. Ovie did his part this year. Now he needs a supporting cast that will match his intensity. The first part of fulfilling that burden is letting some guys walk away.
4. Sign Grittier Players and Stress that the team is now a "New Group"
Look at Tampa this year. The group is generally the same as it was last year. But add in a few new names, and a new coach, and all of a sudden the whole culture changes. Now I'm not saying that the Caps need to get a new coach. In fact, I think that Boudreau's attitude is very much congruent with the kind of grittiness that the team needs to adopt. There are plenty of free agent defensemen that will be available this off season, though I would assume that many of them like Ian White, Niclas Wallin, and Tomas Kaberle will choose to stay with their present contenders. Regardless, there are still a couple of guys that will be on the market that can beef up the Caps defensive corps (both blueliners and forwards). Guys like Jim Vandermeer and Brent Sopel can add toughness and experience to the blue line (though they won't add much speed), and a guy like the Canadiens' James Wisniewski can be a good two way defenseman that can eat up time on both special teams units. The Caps will still have to trade for that workhorse. However, they can complement their defenseman well through free agency.
On the forward side, I'd re-sign Jason Arnott because he's a good veteran to have in the locker room (although I'd definitely let Johansson take over the second pivot next year). Outside of him, let them all walk. Brooks Laich, Boyd Gordon, and Matt Bradley should all hit the road to make space for new blood. There are plenty of grinders that will be on the market. If I were the Caps, I'd be dipping into that pool a little bit to try and get some players with some grit. And you hate to say it, but I'd look for some players that can tend to lean towards goonery. You hate to advocate play like that, but at the end of the day, a guy like Ben Eager makes your team meaner. And you need to be mean to win in the playoffs. With that being said, I don't think that the Caps' problems are entirely in the bottom six, although in the Tampa series they were far too loose defensively. I think as much as you need to add grit and defensive capability to the bottom six, the Capitals need some middle six forwards that can score while being aggressive and focused. One player who will be a free agent next season that screams good intangibles along with concrete scoring is Carolina's Erik Cole. Now would he leave Carolina to join a divisional rival? I highly doubt it. However, it's those kind of guys that the Caps really need right now.
All in all, here's what I would do concretely.
Trade Semyon Varlamov and acquire a workhorse defenseman.
(I'm thinking Caps send Varlamov and a second rounder to the Devils for Anton Volchenkov).
Let Brooks Laich and Boyd Gordon walk, consider keeping Matt Bradley.
Target the following free agents:
Scott Hannan
Jason Arnott
Jim Vandermeer
Brent Sopel
James Wisniewski
Niclas Wallin
Ian White
Ville Leino
Freddy Sjostrom
Ben Eager
Sean Bergenheim
Adam Hall
Jeff Halpern
Patrick Eaves
Aaron Asham
Rob Niedermayer
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Writer Forgets To Put Up Playoff Predictions.....Stupid Head
I know that it's a little late to be predicting playoff series, but here's what I thought was going to happen in the East, regardless of what's going on now:
Washington Capitals versus New York Rangers:
Capitals in seven
I figured that the Rangers shot blocking and solid team defense would allow them to hang tough with a team that they beat in the season series. Unfortunately, it's looking like the Caps may end them sooner than that, unless the Rangers can continue the momentum that they built in a controversial game three.
Philadelphia Flyers versus Buffalo Sabres:
Sabres in six
I thought that the Sabres would carry their hot streak right into the playoffs to make an easy end of the middling Flyers. So far, that's not really happening. The Flyers have stepped it up, and the Sabres have not.
Boston Bruins versus Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens in seven
I hate the intangibles on the Bruins. The roster is full of talented players who have bad habits of disappearing at crunch time. Plus, anyone who is smart enough to realize that Tim Thomas gives up more goals off rebounds than anyone else in the NHL would crash the net against the B's, just like the Habs have been doing. Add in the fact that this Canadiens team is essentially the same as last years (only with better defensemen, forwards, and arguably a better goaltender). Price has stepped up, and he's going to carry them through.
Pittsburgh Penguins versus Tampa Bay Lightning
Penguins in six
Team defense and secondary scoring trumps Martin St. Louis any day. The Penguins have been in playoff mode for months, have a deep and rugged roster, have been in the playoffs many times before, and have a better defensive corps. At the end of the day, the Lightning just have too many holes on the back end. If Fluery falters the Bolts may have a chance, but this isn't last year. Fleury now has an elite group of blue liners keeping him looking ahead to the second round.
Washington Capitals versus New York Rangers:
Capitals in seven
I figured that the Rangers shot blocking and solid team defense would allow them to hang tough with a team that they beat in the season series. Unfortunately, it's looking like the Caps may end them sooner than that, unless the Rangers can continue the momentum that they built in a controversial game three.
Philadelphia Flyers versus Buffalo Sabres:
Sabres in six
I thought that the Sabres would carry their hot streak right into the playoffs to make an easy end of the middling Flyers. So far, that's not really happening. The Flyers have stepped it up, and the Sabres have not.
Boston Bruins versus Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens in seven
I hate the intangibles on the Bruins. The roster is full of talented players who have bad habits of disappearing at crunch time. Plus, anyone who is smart enough to realize that Tim Thomas gives up more goals off rebounds than anyone else in the NHL would crash the net against the B's, just like the Habs have been doing. Add in the fact that this Canadiens team is essentially the same as last years (only with better defensemen, forwards, and arguably a better goaltender). Price has stepped up, and he's going to carry them through.
Pittsburgh Penguins versus Tampa Bay Lightning
Penguins in six
Team defense and secondary scoring trumps Martin St. Louis any day. The Penguins have been in playoff mode for months, have a deep and rugged roster, have been in the playoffs many times before, and have a better defensive corps. At the end of the day, the Lightning just have too many holes on the back end. If Fluery falters the Bolts may have a chance, but this isn't last year. Fleury now has an elite group of blue liners keeping him looking ahead to the second round.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Western Conference Playoff Predictions Reviewed
The final seeding in the west looked a little different than I had predicted, but overall teams finished in similar positions to those that I expected. However, there were two big differences, Nashville finished much higher in the race than I thought, ending up with the fifth seed, and the LA Kings finished lower than expected at the seventh seed. Regardless, the points were so tight that mistakes like that are to be expected. Still, there was one glaring omission from my predictions that deserves address, and that is the Anaheim Ducks. They deserved to be omitted at the time- they were six points out, had their Vezina caliber goalie out indefinitely, and had a seemingly soft defense. As it turns out, their defense turned out to be much stronger than expected, as Lubomir Visnovsky has carried out an absolutely Norris worthy campaign. Their goaltending situation also seemed to get shored up with the acquisitions of veteran Dan Ellis, and feel good story Ray Emery, who turned out to be incredibly clutch down the stretch. Add in the absolute scoring might of their top line, and the utter dominance of Corey Perry (who in my opinion is the MVP hands down this season), and it makes sense that they now sit at the fourth seed.
With that being said, here are my playoff predictions now that the seeding has been decided.
1. Blackhawks versus Canucks
Canucks in Six:
The Blackhawks don't have the same physical presence in front of the net that they had last season. Guys like Stalberg, Bickell, and Dowell could help turn up the physicality, but unless Chicago really gets in Luongo's face (and really learns how to play tighter defense quickly), they're going to fall to the juggernaut that is the Canucks. Still, a Blackhawks upset isn't out of the question- their core is full of Stanley Cup winners, and they may be able to get into the heads of the Canucks fairly easily. Nevertheless, I think that the newly revamped Vancouver blue line will hold off the Blackhawk onslaught to win the day.
2. San Jose Sharks versus Los Angeles Kings
Sharks in Five:
The sharks will win because they're on fire, they're tougher, and the Kings are missing their two leading scorers. If the Kings had Kopitar and Williams, I'd consider picking them as an upset. Nevertheless, I just don't think that the Kings can muster the kind of offensive punch that will be needed to counter the dominant Sharks.
3. Detroit Red Wings versus Phoenix Coyotes
Red Wings in Seven:
The Red Wings are experienced and balanced. Though the Coyotes are well coached and desperate for respect and recognition, the Red Wings' level headed approach to the game will carry them through the first round. The Coyotes will play stringent defense, but will lack the scoring punch to counter the productivity of Zetterberg, Franzen, and Datsyuk.
4. Anaheim Ducks versus Nashville Predators
Nashville in Six:
Nashville will win this series because Anaheim has their seeding due to swagger, scoring ability, and clutch goaltending. These seem like things that should help a team in the playoffs, however, I'm doubtful of how long it will last. This Nashville team knows how to play defense, has an excellent coach, and is dying to make it past the first round for once. They made a big move symbolically in acquiring Mike Fisher, Pekka Rinne is a monster who will steal at least one game in this series. At the end of the day, defense and goaltending beats scoring punch. Anaheim just doesn't have the base to go far. Don't be surprised if the swagger lasts, but I don't think it will.
With that being said, here are my playoff predictions now that the seeding has been decided.
1. Blackhawks versus Canucks
Canucks in Six:
The Blackhawks don't have the same physical presence in front of the net that they had last season. Guys like Stalberg, Bickell, and Dowell could help turn up the physicality, but unless Chicago really gets in Luongo's face (and really learns how to play tighter defense quickly), they're going to fall to the juggernaut that is the Canucks. Still, a Blackhawks upset isn't out of the question- their core is full of Stanley Cup winners, and they may be able to get into the heads of the Canucks fairly easily. Nevertheless, I think that the newly revamped Vancouver blue line will hold off the Blackhawk onslaught to win the day.
2. San Jose Sharks versus Los Angeles Kings
Sharks in Five:
The sharks will win because they're on fire, they're tougher, and the Kings are missing their two leading scorers. If the Kings had Kopitar and Williams, I'd consider picking them as an upset. Nevertheless, I just don't think that the Kings can muster the kind of offensive punch that will be needed to counter the dominant Sharks.
3. Detroit Red Wings versus Phoenix Coyotes
Red Wings in Seven:
The Red Wings are experienced and balanced. Though the Coyotes are well coached and desperate for respect and recognition, the Red Wings' level headed approach to the game will carry them through the first round. The Coyotes will play stringent defense, but will lack the scoring punch to counter the productivity of Zetterberg, Franzen, and Datsyuk.
4. Anaheim Ducks versus Nashville Predators
Nashville in Six:
Nashville will win this series because Anaheim has their seeding due to swagger, scoring ability, and clutch goaltending. These seem like things that should help a team in the playoffs, however, I'm doubtful of how long it will last. This Nashville team knows how to play defense, has an excellent coach, and is dying to make it past the first round for once. They made a big move symbolically in acquiring Mike Fisher, Pekka Rinne is a monster who will steal at least one game in this series. At the end of the day, defense and goaltending beats scoring punch. Anaheim just doesn't have the base to go far. Don't be surprised if the swagger lasts, but I don't think it will.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Why Goal Differential Should Matter In Playoff Seeding
Right now there's a three way race for the bottom two seeds in the Eastern Conference between the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres hold the seventh seed with 90 points, 79 GP, and a +12 goal differential. Behind them are the Rangers, who hold the eighth seed with 89 points, 79 GP, and a +33 goal differential. Lastly, there are the Hurricans who stand in ninth with 87 points, 79 GP, and a -7 goal differential. Now you may be asking yourselves, why are the Rangers, who have clearly done a better job of, y'know...playing hockey, stuck in a fight for their playoff lives with a former eleventh seed, and the -7 Carolina Hurricanes. A better question is this: Why is there ever a reason that the Sabres should be ahead of the Rangers when the Rangers have won 2 more games.... Alas, you're probably questioning whether this article is wee bit biased. I'll be the first to tell you- it's biased. But with that being said, that doesn't change the validity of the argument. The Rangers have clearly been the best hockey team. They've won more games, but more importantly, they've clearly tried harder for every minute of play. Some may argue that goal differential isn't a good way of measuring quality because some teams either win by a goal or get blown out. Well guess what, if your team is having a season where that's happening consistently, then your team isn't good at hockey. It's not just about wins, it's about overall quality. Wins are a measurement of overall quality, the idea being that if a team is consistently good, it will win games. If a team wins 40 games, but gets thrashed for the other 42, that doesn't indicate skill. All it indicates is that your team has gotten lucky by winning some close ones.
Even look at a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning They have a +2 goal aggregate. You may remember that they were once leading the division with a negative goal differential. You may also remember how that lead didn't last. A team can't truly be good if it's getting pounded every time it loses, and if it only wins 6-5. That's unsustainable. That's why the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are no longer in the playoffs. That's why Tampa lost the division lead. Most importantly, that's why teams like the Sabres, Canes, and Lightning are more likely to crumble in the playoffs then a team like the Rangers, the Blackhawks, or the Kings. At the end of the day, you can tell if a team can play defense by its goal differential. It's all well and good if it can score plenty (like the Lightning), but if it can't keep the puck out of the net, then what's the use. Defense and depth win Stanely Cups. And if your team is winning while letting in more pucks than it's scoring, than your team is going to be in trouble. At a certain point, it becomes tough to tell how reflective goal differential is in demonstrating a team's ability. Phoenix is only +7, but everyone knows they can play defense and win games. At the end of the day, Goal Differential isn't an absolutely perfect stat with which to measure quality. Regardless, things like overall wins should be taken into account, even if goal differential can't be. If it really is about measuring who the best team is, give it to the team that has won the most games, even if you're going to ignore how many times they've been scored on.
Even look at a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning They have a +2 goal aggregate. You may remember that they were once leading the division with a negative goal differential. You may also remember how that lead didn't last. A team can't truly be good if it's getting pounded every time it loses, and if it only wins 6-5. That's unsustainable. That's why the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are no longer in the playoffs. That's why Tampa lost the division lead. Most importantly, that's why teams like the Sabres, Canes, and Lightning are more likely to crumble in the playoffs then a team like the Rangers, the Blackhawks, or the Kings. At the end of the day, you can tell if a team can play defense by its goal differential. It's all well and good if it can score plenty (like the Lightning), but if it can't keep the puck out of the net, then what's the use. Defense and depth win Stanely Cups. And if your team is winning while letting in more pucks than it's scoring, than your team is going to be in trouble. At a certain point, it becomes tough to tell how reflective goal differential is in demonstrating a team's ability. Phoenix is only +7, but everyone knows they can play defense and win games. At the end of the day, Goal Differential isn't an absolutely perfect stat with which to measure quality. Regardless, things like overall wins should be taken into account, even if goal differential can't be. If it really is about measuring who the best team is, give it to the team that has won the most games, even if you're going to ignore how many times they've been scored on.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Hamhuis Concussion
Make that another injured Vancouver Canuck. Dan Hamhuis was concussed tonight on this unusual play involving Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa, and Columbus Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash:
Just another blow to Vancouver's Cup hopes, and one that occurred on the same night that the team set a franchise record for wins in a season
Just another blow to Vancouver's Cup hopes, and one that occurred on the same night that the team set a franchise record for wins in a season
Key Injuries Dampening Cup Hopes in West
Between Detroit, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, there have been some serious injuries to both players, and Cup hopes. Some injuries are more serious than others. After all, although Detroit's now missing center Pavel Datsyuk and right wing Johan Franzen, no one expects them to miss too much post season time, if any at all. In fact, Detroit's been one of the best teams in the league at dealing with injuries, whether intermittent DTD injuries like the ones affecting Datsyuk and Franzen, or more serious ones like the tendon tear of third line center Mike Modano. Unfortunately for Vancouver and LA, they're injuries are a bit more serious than mere soreness. In Los Angeles, second leading scorer Justin Williams went down with a shoulder injury just last week- only to be followed yesterday by Anze Kopitar, who suffered a broken ankle. The Kings are now left without their top two scorers at the tail end of a season in which lack of explosive offense has been one of the main story lines. Fortunatel,y trade deadline acquisition Dustin Penner should be able to pick up some of the slack. Nevertheless, he hasn't been a consistent producer for them just yet, and middle six players like Wayne Simmonds, Michal Handzus, and Alexei Ponikarovsky are going to need to step up in order to complement Penner, captain Dustin Brown, and alternate Ryan Smyth. The Kings are still backstopped by a talented net minder in Jonathan Quick, and still possess a very good defensive corps in Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Willie Mitchell, and Rob Scuderi. Regardless, they're going to need some serious grit, determination, and luck to get a good run going this year.
Vancouver isn't in quite the same shape as Los Angeles, luckily for them. Vancouver's depth signings this off season were wise, and are now paying off with defensemen Alex Edler, and Sami Salo both having been injured for parts of the season. Unfortunately, it would appear that those depth signings were not quite deep enough. Manny Malhotra went down with an eye injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season, and Vancouver is now faced with a massive hole at third line center. Malhotra was the team's leading penalty killer, and was, along with Ryan Kesler, arguably the best defensive forward on the team. He had been brought in to play the pivot on the third line along with enigmatic winger Raffi Torres over the off season. In fact, he and Torres had both been fairly solid on that line, contributing 59 points between the two of them. However, Malhotra's real contributions were in his penalty killing abilities, as well as his prowess at face-offs. Without Malhotra, the Canucks are now faced with a serious dearth of grit. You need those guys that can win faceoffs, hit, grind it out, kill penalties, and chip in the occasional goal in the playoffs. That's what wins playoff games. It's not the stars, it's the third line players. And now Vancouver's going to have to play on without one of theirs.
Vancouver isn't in quite the same shape as Los Angeles, luckily for them. Vancouver's depth signings this off season were wise, and are now paying off with defensemen Alex Edler, and Sami Salo both having been injured for parts of the season. Unfortunately, it would appear that those depth signings were not quite deep enough. Manny Malhotra went down with an eye injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season, and Vancouver is now faced with a massive hole at third line center. Malhotra was the team's leading penalty killer, and was, along with Ryan Kesler, arguably the best defensive forward on the team. He had been brought in to play the pivot on the third line along with enigmatic winger Raffi Torres over the off season. In fact, he and Torres had both been fairly solid on that line, contributing 59 points between the two of them. However, Malhotra's real contributions were in his penalty killing abilities, as well as his prowess at face-offs. Without Malhotra, the Canucks are now faced with a serious dearth of grit. You need those guys that can win faceoffs, hit, grind it out, kill penalties, and chip in the occasional goal in the playoffs. That's what wins playoff games. It's not the stars, it's the third line players. And now Vancouver's going to have to play on without one of theirs.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Battle of the Bench Bosses: NHL Fight Club
For the entirety of the season there has been an argument raging over who deserves the Jack Adams award for best coach. Some have argued that New Jersey's Jacques Lemaire, despite not making the playoffs, deserves the award for his Devils' remarkable second half comeback. Others argue that Guy Boucher in Tampa Bay deserves it for turning a lottery team into a solid playoff competitor. In my opinion, it should be either Dan Bylsma of Pittsburgh, who has fought through injuries to keep his team fighting for a top 4 seed all season, or Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals, who changed his team's entire system and philosophy over the course of the season. In the process, he sent them from losing seven straight, to fighting for the conference lead. Add in the fact that his team is top 3 in GAA in the league with 2 goalies aged 23 and younger, and that the team's PK has jumped from 25th to 3rd, and Boudreau should be the best choice for the award. Nevertheless, there are still perennial contenders like Phoenix's David Tippet, and Nashville's Barry Trotz. Fortunately for us, we're not the ones who have to make that decision. However, it does raise the question of how exactly the awards winner is decided.
"It's decided by the National Hockey League Broadcaster's Association," said every single person I raised this question too. Red blooded American that I am, I became immediately skeptical of what seemed to me to be some sort of union designed to improve the working conditions of a labor force in which there are more workers than jobs. The notion that something could be decided by vote by a group of scoundrels like union members both frightened and confounded me. Thus, I went to look further into the matter.
As it turns out, the process reeks much less of socialistic drivel than I thought. The GM's pick their eight favorite coaches, and then send them to the most hellish arena of combat they can find- Nassau Colliseum. Once there, each coach gets to pick a personal array of weapons before engaging the other seven in a horrid melee. Sure enough, like I said, Bruce Boudreau will still win this year's fight, as he will be a fat man with a pitchfork. And no one has ever defeated a fat man with a pitchfork. Then again, Guy Boucher sure does seem like has some sort of experience with armed combat.
"It's decided by the National Hockey League Broadcaster's Association," said every single person I raised this question too. Red blooded American that I am, I became immediately skeptical of what seemed to me to be some sort of union designed to improve the working conditions of a labor force in which there are more workers than jobs. The notion that something could be decided by vote by a group of scoundrels like union members both frightened and confounded me. Thus, I went to look further into the matter.
As it turns out, the process reeks much less of socialistic drivel than I thought. The GM's pick their eight favorite coaches, and then send them to the most hellish arena of combat they can find- Nassau Colliseum. Once there, each coach gets to pick a personal array of weapons before engaging the other seven in a horrid melee. Sure enough, like I said, Bruce Boudreau will still win this year's fight, as he will be a fat man with a pitchfork. And no one has ever defeated a fat man with a pitchfork. Then again, Guy Boucher sure does seem like has some sort of experience with armed combat.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Vezina Race Heats Up
Well, not entirely. Tim Thomas will win the Vezina this year undoubtedly. Pekka Rinne will be the runner up with almost complete certainty. Nevertheless, that third finalist spot is a wide open race. Here's the break down on every candidate's credentials and winning probabilities.
Tim Thomas
Will obviously win the trophy. He leads the league in save percentage at 93.7%, and GAA at 2.06. Furthermore, he has 7 shutouts, and is an impressive 30-10-8 on the season. He's certainly slowed down in the second half of the season (as have the rest of the Bruins), yet his historically dominant first half will be enough to easily carry him to a nearly unanimous selection. He plays an aggressive and active style of goaltending. Although it's ugly to watch, every save is made all the more impressive by the fact that all of his success is produced by pure athleticism and competitiveness. Last season he had lost his starting job to youngster Tuukka Rask, only one season after capturing his first Vezina. Nevertheless, hip surgery over the off season seems to have cured whatever was ailing him, as he is now the most dominant goalie in the NHL.
Pekka Rinne
Rinne is the most fascinating goalie in the NHL this year, and it's really a shame that his beauty of a season won't be recognized with the trophy itself. Unlike Thomas, who plays on a division leader, Rinne plays on a team that has not been in a playoff spot for most of the season. Regardless, he has an impressive 93.0% and a stellar 2.07. Though he missed time in the middle of the season with an injury, Rinne has started a respectable 56 games for the Predators, winning 28 of them. Yet what makes him all the more intriguing of a candidate is his style of play. At 6-5 and 207 pounds, Rinne combines the athletic and agile play of Thomas, with the technical and methodical style of Carey Price (who stands at a similar 6-3, 219). Consider in the fact that Rinne was an eighth round pick who split time with Dan Ellis for his whole career prior to this season, and this campaign has truly been something special for RInne. Unfortunately, it just won't be his year. But at a spry 28, he should have years ahead of him to compete for the trophy again and again.
Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist, another late round pick, is all too familiar with being a runner up for the Vezina. Lundqvist set separate records by being the first player in NHL history to be nominated for the Vezina in his first 4 seasons in the NHL, and by being the first player in NHL history to start a career with six consecutive 30 win seasons. The final nomination will go to him this year due to his NHL leading 10 shutouts, as well as his record setting sixth 30 win season. He's in the top 5 in GAA at number 5, with a 2.31, and he's in the top ten in SV% at number 8, with a 92.2%. He's more than solid statistically, and he's arguably the biggest reason as to why his New York Rangers are sitting at 7th in the East.
Carey Price
Like Thomas, Price's is a great comeback story. Price had gone from being referred to by Montreal fans as "Jesus Price," to being booed during pre-season games. He lost his starting job last season to Slovakian sensation Jaroslav Halak, only to watch him carry the Habs all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in the playoffs. Fortunately for him, Halak got shipped out to St. Louis, thus giving Price the sole starting job. Since being handed the starting reigns, he hasn't looked back. He's posted an outstanding 92.2% with a 2.35 GAA and 8 shutouts. Keep in mind that he's tied for the most wins in the league with Detroit's Jimmy Howard, and has faced the second most shots in the league behind Carolina's Cam Ward. All in all, he's done an incredible job for a 23-year old playing in hockey's greatest pressure cooker. He may snag the nomination from Henrik because he's a Canadien, but I don't think that anyone's going to pass on a Ranger to take a Canadien if it comes down to politics.
Roberto Luongo
92.5% with a 2.23 GAA, he's putting up more impressive stats then Price or Henrik, but only has 3 shutouts, and plays for the NHL leading Vancouver Canucks. Case in point, even you, my dedicated reader, would be Vezina nominated goalie if you were playing behind Keith Ballard, Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler, Sami Salo, and Kevin Bieksa. Add in the fact that Luongo has faced nearly 400 fewer shots than Price, and Luongo's Vezina campaign seems thin, although statistically he arguably deserves it.
Jonathan Quick
He doesn't have the SV% necessary to get nominated at a 91.9%, which is too bad for Quick. Any other year and all five of these goalies would probably be Vezina finalists.
Honorable Mentions: Jonas Hiller, Ilya Bryzgalov, Tomas Voukoun
Tim Thomas
Will obviously win the trophy. He leads the league in save percentage at 93.7%, and GAA at 2.06. Furthermore, he has 7 shutouts, and is an impressive 30-10-8 on the season. He's certainly slowed down in the second half of the season (as have the rest of the Bruins), yet his historically dominant first half will be enough to easily carry him to a nearly unanimous selection. He plays an aggressive and active style of goaltending. Although it's ugly to watch, every save is made all the more impressive by the fact that all of his success is produced by pure athleticism and competitiveness. Last season he had lost his starting job to youngster Tuukka Rask, only one season after capturing his first Vezina. Nevertheless, hip surgery over the off season seems to have cured whatever was ailing him, as he is now the most dominant goalie in the NHL.
Pekka Rinne
Rinne is the most fascinating goalie in the NHL this year, and it's really a shame that his beauty of a season won't be recognized with the trophy itself. Unlike Thomas, who plays on a division leader, Rinne plays on a team that has not been in a playoff spot for most of the season. Regardless, he has an impressive 93.0% and a stellar 2.07. Though he missed time in the middle of the season with an injury, Rinne has started a respectable 56 games for the Predators, winning 28 of them. Yet what makes him all the more intriguing of a candidate is his style of play. At 6-5 and 207 pounds, Rinne combines the athletic and agile play of Thomas, with the technical and methodical style of Carey Price (who stands at a similar 6-3, 219). Consider in the fact that Rinne was an eighth round pick who split time with Dan Ellis for his whole career prior to this season, and this campaign has truly been something special for RInne. Unfortunately, it just won't be his year. But at a spry 28, he should have years ahead of him to compete for the trophy again and again.
Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist, another late round pick, is all too familiar with being a runner up for the Vezina. Lundqvist set separate records by being the first player in NHL history to be nominated for the Vezina in his first 4 seasons in the NHL, and by being the first player in NHL history to start a career with six consecutive 30 win seasons. The final nomination will go to him this year due to his NHL leading 10 shutouts, as well as his record setting sixth 30 win season. He's in the top 5 in GAA at number 5, with a 2.31, and he's in the top ten in SV% at number 8, with a 92.2%. He's more than solid statistically, and he's arguably the biggest reason as to why his New York Rangers are sitting at 7th in the East.
Carey Price
Like Thomas, Price's is a great comeback story. Price had gone from being referred to by Montreal fans as "Jesus Price," to being booed during pre-season games. He lost his starting job last season to Slovakian sensation Jaroslav Halak, only to watch him carry the Habs all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals in the playoffs. Fortunately for him, Halak got shipped out to St. Louis, thus giving Price the sole starting job. Since being handed the starting reigns, he hasn't looked back. He's posted an outstanding 92.2% with a 2.35 GAA and 8 shutouts. Keep in mind that he's tied for the most wins in the league with Detroit's Jimmy Howard, and has faced the second most shots in the league behind Carolina's Cam Ward. All in all, he's done an incredible job for a 23-year old playing in hockey's greatest pressure cooker. He may snag the nomination from Henrik because he's a Canadien, but I don't think that anyone's going to pass on a Ranger to take a Canadien if it comes down to politics.
Roberto Luongo
92.5% with a 2.23 GAA, he's putting up more impressive stats then Price or Henrik, but only has 3 shutouts, and plays for the NHL leading Vancouver Canucks. Case in point, even you, my dedicated reader, would be Vezina nominated goalie if you were playing behind Keith Ballard, Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler, Sami Salo, and Kevin Bieksa. Add in the fact that Luongo has faced nearly 400 fewer shots than Price, and Luongo's Vezina campaign seems thin, although statistically he arguably deserves it.
Jonathan Quick
He doesn't have the SV% necessary to get nominated at a 91.9%, which is too bad for Quick. Any other year and all five of these goalies would probably be Vezina finalists.
Honorable Mentions: Jonas Hiller, Ilya Bryzgalov, Tomas Voukoun
Monday, March 14, 2011
Montreal Canadiens Lose Game- Molson Canadian Threatens Lawsuit
Everyone can remember when Air Canada threatened to pull its sponsorship of the NHL after Zdeno Chara wasn't suspended for his vertebrae cracking "hit" on Max Pacioretty (it happend like a week ago). At the time, it seemed like an extreme way of saying something every important- that player safety needs to become a greater priority within the league, and that a lack of suspension on this hit was utterly unacceptable. With that being said, I think it's clear that not everyone entirely understood why Air Canada was making those threats.
"Wait they were actually pissed about the hit? I thought it was just cuz it was on a Canadien!" Said a clearly intoxicated CEO of Molson Coors. "Where was all this when Cooke hit Savard, or Richards hit Booth? The Montreal Canadiens are Canada's favorite team, if it had been a Minnesota Wild, you wouldn't have heard anything." He then mumbled for another good 30 seconds before I think passing out. To gain further insight into this, I talked to Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger, I-Iz-Kulemin.
"Well firstly," I asked, "Why is your pen name so stupid?"
"Next question."
"Okey dokey- why do you think Air Canada threatened to pull its ad money from the NHL."
"Well that's easy, it was a reckless hit that severely injured a player. You have to be responsible for your actions on the ice, and in this case the player wasn't held responsible. Hence the anger."
"Well what do you say to people who wonder there this outrage was after all the other hits? Why wasn't this threatened after the Kostopolous hit, or the Gillies incidents?"
"Well, you know, it's a different situation."
There was something strange in this rhetoric- why were so many people expressing utter outrage over player safety now, when this has all been going on for over a year. Yes, this incident is the tipping point in the argument. However, those of us that crusade on this hit and don't stay true to the cause of player safety don't look any better than those in the NHL disciplinary process. The NHL didn't suspend Chara because it didn't look like the other head hunting hits that had dominated the conversation previously. So now that we've crossed this point of no return, we need to ask ourselves what the NHL is asking itself right now- what are we trying to do? Do we want to cut out head hunting? Do we want to make the league look better by reducing ugly hits? Do we want to slow down the game and make it boring? Do we want to ignore the problem entirely? Or do we maybe want to remind ourselves that hockey players are people too, and have mothers and fathers that watch them play everyday, in addition to children of their own? The increase in discussion of player safety is fantastic for the game- but let's remember what the priority is here and that's player safety. It's not the image, it's not the brand, it's not even the game- it's the players. Especially the ones that don't get to have their names put up in lights in the big leagues.
"Wait they were actually pissed about the hit? I thought it was just cuz it was on a Canadien!" Said a clearly intoxicated CEO of Molson Coors. "Where was all this when Cooke hit Savard, or Richards hit Booth? The Montreal Canadiens are Canada's favorite team, if it had been a Minnesota Wild, you wouldn't have heard anything." He then mumbled for another good 30 seconds before I think passing out. To gain further insight into this, I talked to Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger, I-Iz-Kulemin.
"Well firstly," I asked, "Why is your pen name so stupid?"
"Next question."
"Okey dokey- why do you think Air Canada threatened to pull its ad money from the NHL."
"Well that's easy, it was a reckless hit that severely injured a player. You have to be responsible for your actions on the ice, and in this case the player wasn't held responsible. Hence the anger."
"Well what do you say to people who wonder there this outrage was after all the other hits? Why wasn't this threatened after the Kostopolous hit, or the Gillies incidents?"
"Well, you know, it's a different situation."
There was something strange in this rhetoric- why were so many people expressing utter outrage over player safety now, when this has all been going on for over a year. Yes, this incident is the tipping point in the argument. However, those of us that crusade on this hit and don't stay true to the cause of player safety don't look any better than those in the NHL disciplinary process. The NHL didn't suspend Chara because it didn't look like the other head hunting hits that had dominated the conversation previously. So now that we've crossed this point of no return, we need to ask ourselves what the NHL is asking itself right now- what are we trying to do? Do we want to cut out head hunting? Do we want to make the league look better by reducing ugly hits? Do we want to slow down the game and make it boring? Do we want to ignore the problem entirely? Or do we maybe want to remind ourselves that hockey players are people too, and have mothers and fathers that watch them play everyday, in addition to children of their own? The increase in discussion of player safety is fantastic for the game- but let's remember what the priority is here and that's player safety. It's not the image, it's not the brand, it's not even the game- it's the players. Especially the ones that don't get to have their names put up in lights in the big leagues.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Western Conference Playoff Predictions
When I decided to write this post, I consulted a few of my other hockey-attentive associates. After voicing their opinions to me, I realized that none of my friends know anything about hockey, and so I ventured out into the concrete jungle to kidnap a fortune teller. After searching through scattered piles of Gypsies for about a half hour, I finally found the ambiguously gendered mystic that I had been seeking. Once I was done feeding her and discussing politics with her for a good deal, she finally gave me this concrete picture of what the West will look like come playoff time, though she accompanied it with incredibly ambiguous explanations.
1. Vancouver Canucks
2 words: Ryan Kesler.
2. Detroit Red Wings
The veterans' legs have held up well thus far, and that won't change going down the stretch. With Pavel Datsyuk back, and Jimmy Howard regaining his Calder worthy form, expect nothing but good things from the Wings for the rest of the season.
3. San Jose Sharks
Their forwards are too capable and their momentum is too strong for the Phoenix Coyotes to catch them. Though they were seemingly too soft from October to January, the additions of Ian White and Ben Eager have helped the team's grit significantly. As long as Antti Niemi can keep up his play, they'll keep this spot- although who knows how long that will actually be.
4. Los Angeles Kings
Though they lack scoring punch, the Kings are very balanced, and they are back stopped by a good goaltender, and a deep defensive corps. Drew Doughty has recovered from his early season struggles, and a late deadline addition could help push them over the edge. Furthermore, they also have the best GF-GA in the division. By a lot.
5. Phoenix Coyotes
Team game is too strong. Bryzgalov is a solid netminder, and Keith Yandle is nuts. Dave Tippett always manages to get more out of his teams than should really be there, and that will hold true this year.
6. Nashville Predators
Great defensive corps and goaltending. Though the injury bug has hit them hard (hence their recent .500 level play) they will recover from the setbacks and will claim the sixth seed. The addition of Mike Fisher helps make up for the loss of Matthew Lombardi, and good coaching, teamplay, and defense, will make sure that the Preds stay in the playoffs.
7. Chicago Blackhawks
Games in hand on everyone, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Jon Toews. If they don't get in, it will be because of depth. Regardless, I think they'll get the spot.
8. Who Cares
This team will lose to the Canucks. Period. With that being said, it will be the Dallas Stars or Calgary Flames- but not because they deserve it.
1. Vancouver Canucks
2 words: Ryan Kesler.
2. Detroit Red Wings
The veterans' legs have held up well thus far, and that won't change going down the stretch. With Pavel Datsyuk back, and Jimmy Howard regaining his Calder worthy form, expect nothing but good things from the Wings for the rest of the season.
3. San Jose Sharks
Their forwards are too capable and their momentum is too strong for the Phoenix Coyotes to catch them. Though they were seemingly too soft from October to January, the additions of Ian White and Ben Eager have helped the team's grit significantly. As long as Antti Niemi can keep up his play, they'll keep this spot- although who knows how long that will actually be.
4. Los Angeles Kings
Though they lack scoring punch, the Kings are very balanced, and they are back stopped by a good goaltender, and a deep defensive corps. Drew Doughty has recovered from his early season struggles, and a late deadline addition could help push them over the edge. Furthermore, they also have the best GF-GA in the division. By a lot.
5. Phoenix Coyotes
Team game is too strong. Bryzgalov is a solid netminder, and Keith Yandle is nuts. Dave Tippett always manages to get more out of his teams than should really be there, and that will hold true this year.
6. Nashville Predators
Great defensive corps and goaltending. Though the injury bug has hit them hard (hence their recent .500 level play) they will recover from the setbacks and will claim the sixth seed. The addition of Mike Fisher helps make up for the loss of Matthew Lombardi, and good coaching, teamplay, and defense, will make sure that the Preds stay in the playoffs.
7. Chicago Blackhawks
Games in hand on everyone, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Jon Toews. If they don't get in, it will be because of depth. Regardless, I think they'll get the spot.
8. Who Cares
This team will lose to the Canucks. Period. With that being said, it will be the Dallas Stars or Calgary Flames- but not because they deserve it.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sharks Visited By Actual Sharks- Go On 12-2-1 Tear
For a while (a while meaning most of the season) things were not looking up for the San Jose Sharks. Captain and defensive stalwart Rob Blake had retired over the offseason, and franchise goalie Evgeni Nabokov had departed for greener pastures (green pastures meaning Russia). The team was left with journeyman Antero Niittymaki, and Stanley Cup winning average-joe Antti Niemi covering the crease. On the blue line, youngsters Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jason Demers were expected to pick up some of the slack as compliments to veterans Dan Boyle, Douglas Murray, and Niclas Wallin. Regardless, many of the teams issues during the first half of the season were actually found within the Sharks' corps of forwards. Captain Joe Thornton underperformed, as did newly resigned core players Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau. Rookie Logan Couture proved to be a revelation, and led all rookies in goal scoring through the first 41 games, yet was obviously not enough to make up for the lack of production from the previously mentioned stars. Thus, as the Sharks approached January, they seemed to be a team that had taken a step backwards from their hopes of a Stanley Cup. Their goaltending was weak, as was their defense, and they seemed to lack the general grit and physicality needed to win in the post season. They were also about to go 1-6 to start the first month of the year.
Yet suddenly, something changed. On January 15, the team began a win streak that would eventually turn into a 12-2-1 run that would last into late February. January 15 was also around the time that the team acquired depth players Ben Eager and Kyle Wellwood, a coincidence which has some thinking that their additions sparked this win streak. It would make sense, considering that the Sharks had also lost role players like Manny Malhotra from the 09-10 campaign. Yet according to officials within the organization who I'm bestest buddies with, the acquisitions of these forwards had little to do with the recent trend of winning.
"We put them in a room with Tiger Sharks," said an anonymous source named Daniel Wilkins who works as a trainer for the San Jose franchise.
"You mean you put them in a pool with sharks, right?"
"No," he replied. "We put them in a room with a bunch of sharks that can breathe without water, and had them give our players a candid conversation about what it means to be a shark."
"Well what does it mean to be a shark?" I asked.
"Well, it takes hard work, and dedication to be a shark. No one ever got anywhere in hockey, or in ferocious predatory activity, without working hard and being physical."
Sure enough, the advice seemed to work. They've gotten points in 13 of their last 15 games, and seem poised to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt well into the final games of the season. The situation must have really been frightening and ironic for Kyle Wellwood though. He left Russia because of dogs, and wound up back in America, being advised (and presumably snapped at) by a gaggle of terrestrial Tiger Sharks.
Yet suddenly, something changed. On January 15, the team began a win streak that would eventually turn into a 12-2-1 run that would last into late February. January 15 was also around the time that the team acquired depth players Ben Eager and Kyle Wellwood, a coincidence which has some thinking that their additions sparked this win streak. It would make sense, considering that the Sharks had also lost role players like Manny Malhotra from the 09-10 campaign. Yet according to officials within the organization who I'm bestest buddies with, the acquisitions of these forwards had little to do with the recent trend of winning.
"We put them in a room with Tiger Sharks," said an anonymous source named Daniel Wilkins who works as a trainer for the San Jose franchise.
"You mean you put them in a pool with sharks, right?"
"No," he replied. "We put them in a room with a bunch of sharks that can breathe without water, and had them give our players a candid conversation about what it means to be a shark."
"Well what does it mean to be a shark?" I asked.
"Well, it takes hard work, and dedication to be a shark. No one ever got anywhere in hockey, or in ferocious predatory activity, without working hard and being physical."
Sure enough, the advice seemed to work. They've gotten points in 13 of their last 15 games, and seem poised to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt well into the final games of the season. The situation must have really been frightening and ironic for Kyle Wellwood though. He left Russia because of dogs, and wound up back in America, being advised (and presumably snapped at) by a gaggle of terrestrial Tiger Sharks.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Epic Trades Strengthen Contenders- Still Don't Help Blues
In the last 48 hours, numerous trades have taken place involving the Tampa Bay Lightning, The St. Louis Blues, The Toronto Maple Leafs, The Atlanta Thrashers, and the Boston Bruins. If you're wondering why it took me so long to write on these, it's because the fact that Kaberle was actually traded shocked me to the point where I just woke up from my surprise-induced coma. Here's a breakdown of the transactions:
Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs:
Boston Bruins' 2011 First Round Pick, prospect Joe Colborne, and conditional second round pick that goes to the Leafs if Kaberle resigns with the Bruins are all going to the Maple Leafs in return for defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The trade gives the Leafs more assets to rebuild with, and a talented prospect at center in Joe Colborne. Boston got a puck moving defenseman who is going to immensely improve their middling powerplay unit. With that being said, Kaberle does have defensive deficiencies. Regardless, many see his addition as the final factor in making the Bruins legitimate Cup contenders.
Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers:
Boston sent defenseman Mark Stuart and forward Blake Wheeler to Atlanta in return for defenseman Boris Valabik, and center Rich Peverley. The Bruins had to dump salary, and got a more effective forward in Rich Peverley (1.4 mill, 34 points) than they had in Blake Wheeler (2.2 mill, 27 points). Granted, Peverley sees more ice time than Wheeler, and Wheeler is +8, compared to Peverley's -16. All in all, the Thrashers won because they got a rugged and physical leader on the blue line that bolsters their defensive corps, and big bodied forward who can score and kill penalties. Nevertheless, the Bruins still made out pretty well, considering they were dumping salary.
Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues
The Lightning received Eric Brewer, a captain and defenseman from the St. Louis Blues. In return, the Blues accepted a third round draft pick in 2011, and unsigned prospect defenseman Brock Beukeboom, who will immediately win the award for best name ever as soon as he signs a contract. Tampa won this trade without doubt. Throughout the season they've had the offense to win games, but not the goaltending. When they traded for Dwayne Roloson, the issue became the defense. Now, they have experience and depth their too. Though this trade doesn't carry the star power of the Kaberle trade, this may in actuality be the move that will most significantly affect who wins what this post season.
Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues
This was by far the most shocking trade of the season. The St. Louis blues sent former first overall pick Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche for rookie defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, and power forward Chris Stewart. Stewart scored 28 goals last year, and was on fire in the first half of the season before breaking his hand in a fight. Since then, he's scored twice and has struggled immensely. With that being said, he is undeniably talented, as is defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Shattenkirk entered the league with a bang this season, and has since played to a solid 26 points in 46 games, along with 64 blocked shots, 20 hits, and a -11 rating. This move is mind boggling. Granted, the Blues have plenty of talent coming through the pipeline, and got two very good pieces in return. Still, it's shocking that they would trade a first overall pick and Olympian, despite the fact that he had not yet developed into the kind of dominant two way defenseman that the organization had expected him to bloom into. Either way, the chances of either team making the playoffs are slim, and so we won't see who really benefited from the exchange until next season.
Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs:
Boston Bruins' 2011 First Round Pick, prospect Joe Colborne, and conditional second round pick that goes to the Leafs if Kaberle resigns with the Bruins are all going to the Maple Leafs in return for defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The trade gives the Leafs more assets to rebuild with, and a talented prospect at center in Joe Colborne. Boston got a puck moving defenseman who is going to immensely improve their middling powerplay unit. With that being said, Kaberle does have defensive deficiencies. Regardless, many see his addition as the final factor in making the Bruins legitimate Cup contenders.
Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers:
Boston sent defenseman Mark Stuart and forward Blake Wheeler to Atlanta in return for defenseman Boris Valabik, and center Rich Peverley. The Bruins had to dump salary, and got a more effective forward in Rich Peverley (1.4 mill, 34 points) than they had in Blake Wheeler (2.2 mill, 27 points). Granted, Peverley sees more ice time than Wheeler, and Wheeler is +8, compared to Peverley's -16. All in all, the Thrashers won because they got a rugged and physical leader on the blue line that bolsters their defensive corps, and big bodied forward who can score and kill penalties. Nevertheless, the Bruins still made out pretty well, considering they were dumping salary.
Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues
The Lightning received Eric Brewer, a captain and defenseman from the St. Louis Blues. In return, the Blues accepted a third round draft pick in 2011, and unsigned prospect defenseman Brock Beukeboom, who will immediately win the award for best name ever as soon as he signs a contract. Tampa won this trade without doubt. Throughout the season they've had the offense to win games, but not the goaltending. When they traded for Dwayne Roloson, the issue became the defense. Now, they have experience and depth their too. Though this trade doesn't carry the star power of the Kaberle trade, this may in actuality be the move that will most significantly affect who wins what this post season.
Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues
This was by far the most shocking trade of the season. The St. Louis blues sent former first overall pick Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche for rookie defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, and power forward Chris Stewart. Stewart scored 28 goals last year, and was on fire in the first half of the season before breaking his hand in a fight. Since then, he's scored twice and has struggled immensely. With that being said, he is undeniably talented, as is defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. Shattenkirk entered the league with a bang this season, and has since played to a solid 26 points in 46 games, along with 64 blocked shots, 20 hits, and a -11 rating. This move is mind boggling. Granted, the Blues have plenty of talent coming through the pipeline, and got two very good pieces in return. Still, it's shocking that they would trade a first overall pick and Olympian, despite the fact that he had not yet developed into the kind of dominant two way defenseman that the organization had expected him to bloom into. Either way, the chances of either team making the playoffs are slim, and so we won't see who really benefited from the exchange until next season.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Tobias Enstrom Should Win the Norris
The Atlanta Thrashers have spent the last month plummeting down the standings and dropping point after point. There are three reasons for that: 1) I am not in the Atlanta locker room nightly rubbing my swag on Evander Kane's skates, 2) Ondrej Pavelec is playing more like Ondrej Pavelec and less like Mecha-Thomas (a mechanical Tim Thomas, in case that needed explanation), and 3) Tobias Enstrom is out. Now you may be wondering how the exit of a 5' 10" 180 pound defenseman can affect a team so greatly. If you are, say it out loud regardless of whatever setting you're in. Now that that's taken care of, here's why Enstrom is the most important defenseman in the NHL.
Dustin Byfuglien is the best offensive defenseman in the league (because he is a forward). Buff finds his scoring ability in his monster shot, his vision, and his responsible D-Partner who allows him to get all +'s of an OFD, and none the minuses- literally. For a while, Byfuglien and Ladd were the only two performing offensively on the team besides Enstrom. As a result, the team became complacent offensively due to their reliance on Big Buff. Teams have now keyed up on Byfuglien, and regardless, the Thrashers defenseman continues to play the same way. Only now, he can't score, and gets lots of minuses, because his stalwart partner isn't there. If Enstrom is there, he's like a security blanket that can not only defuse a Byfuglien error, but can also be the recipient of an outlet pass. Enstrom can do what Byfuglien can do offensively, for the most part, which then reduces the significance of the lock up on Byfgulien. With him out, Buff can't play D, or score. And if Buff can't score, then the Thrashers can't score. Hence, Tobias Enstrom is the most valuable defenseman of the season.
**Disclaimer***
Lidstrom will win because it's his last year and he's been outstanding. Arguably, Keith Yandle and Kris Letang are equally so, Yandle may even be more so. Regardless, it's Lidstrom's.
Dustin Byfuglien is the best offensive defenseman in the league (because he is a forward). Buff finds his scoring ability in his monster shot, his vision, and his responsible D-Partner who allows him to get all +'s of an OFD, and none the minuses- literally. For a while, Byfuglien and Ladd were the only two performing offensively on the team besides Enstrom. As a result, the team became complacent offensively due to their reliance on Big Buff. Teams have now keyed up on Byfuglien, and regardless, the Thrashers defenseman continues to play the same way. Only now, he can't score, and gets lots of minuses, because his stalwart partner isn't there. If Enstrom is there, he's like a security blanket that can not only defuse a Byfuglien error, but can also be the recipient of an outlet pass. Enstrom can do what Byfuglien can do offensively, for the most part, which then reduces the significance of the lock up on Byfgulien. With him out, Buff can't play D, or score. And if Buff can't score, then the Thrashers can't score. Hence, Tobias Enstrom is the most valuable defenseman of the season.
**Disclaimer***
Lidstrom will win because it's his last year and he's been outstanding. Arguably, Keith Yandle and Kris Letang are equally so, Yandle may even be more so. Regardless, it's Lidstrom's.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
World's Shortest Goalie Fight
The video speaks for itself.
Utter hilarity. Although if Johnson really wanted to KO him, he could have just high kicked him in the hip.
Utter hilarity. Although if Johnson really wanted to KO him, he could have just high kicked him in the hip.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Devils Sell Soul To Actual Devil- Go 6-0-1 in Last 7
The last place Devils had tried multiple solutions to their systemic struggles. They'd fired John MacLean and rehired Jacques Lemaire. They had traded away captain Jamie Langenbrunner to the Dallas Stars. They had even benched Martin Brodeur, and had called up seemingly hundreds of AHL players to give them a shot at turning the season around. Yet finally, on January 9, the Devils tried the last solution left- selling their souls to the actual Devil. Since then, they've gone on an impressive 6-0-1, scoring 28 goals in the process. That's an average of 4 goals a game, in case you couldn't divide 28 by 7. "I don't really feel any different than I did before," said Devils GM Lou Lamoriello when asked about the forfeiture of his very essence.
Fans felt very similarly. "When I first became a Devils fan, it was considered a prerequisite to be a cold heartless spine crusher, who would sell his soul in an instant. Having to actually do it to get the team winning doesn't make that much of a difference to me as a result," stated a very drunk but surprisingly articulate Devils fan that I met at Walgreens today. I also asked him why he was drunk, but the only response that I got back was that he had to go partake in additional sinning due to his lack of soul.
Regardless, of this win streak though, things still look gloomy for the Devils in the long term and short term. They most likely will not make the playoffs, and their outlook as a franchise for the long term is disappointing at best. They have no goaltender to replace their franchise goalie in the long term. They have the upcoming free agency of the Zach Parise. They have the Kovalchuk contract. They have the coaching carousel that has been going on for ten years. They have no first round pick in one of the next three upcoming drafts. They have an aging Elias, and Arnott, and they have a surprisingly soft defensive corps that is supposed to be the backbone of the franchise. What's worst, is that they are headed by a GM who has lost his touch, and does not understand how to manage cap in the post-lockout era. All in all, things are still not looking up for the Devils. Let they're recovery be speedy, so that beating them will once again be satisfying.
Fans felt very similarly. "When I first became a Devils fan, it was considered a prerequisite to be a cold heartless spine crusher, who would sell his soul in an instant. Having to actually do it to get the team winning doesn't make that much of a difference to me as a result," stated a very drunk but surprisingly articulate Devils fan that I met at Walgreens today. I also asked him why he was drunk, but the only response that I got back was that he had to go partake in additional sinning due to his lack of soul.
Regardless, of this win streak though, things still look gloomy for the Devils in the long term and short term. They most likely will not make the playoffs, and their outlook as a franchise for the long term is disappointing at best. They have no goaltender to replace their franchise goalie in the long term. They have the upcoming free agency of the Zach Parise. They have the Kovalchuk contract. They have the coaching carousel that has been going on for ten years. They have no first round pick in one of the next three upcoming drafts. They have an aging Elias, and Arnott, and they have a surprisingly soft defensive corps that is supposed to be the backbone of the franchise. What's worst, is that they are headed by a GM who has lost his touch, and does not understand how to manage cap in the post-lockout era. All in all, things are still not looking up for the Devils. Let they're recovery be speedy, so that beating them will once again be satisfying.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Rangers' Offense Spoiled- Goals Being Thieved By Icy Gremlins
Over the last week and a half, numerous journalists, bloggers, and rudimentary mathematicians have pointed out that the Rangers have been scoring fewer goals in the new year. I'd give you the exact number, but well....eh, I'm just not going to give you the exact number. The point is that the offense is sputtering. There are a few logical reasons as to why the offense has sputtered. Firstly, injuries have decimated an already thin forward corps. Christensen and Prospal, two of the few Rangers that have actually managed to garner some chemistry with offensive centerpiece Marian Gaborik, are both out. Callahan, who blocks shots, kills penalties, checks hard and frequently, scores goals, and usually takes the second line right wing is also out with a broken hand. Secondly, the previously mentioned offensive centerpiece, Marian Gaborik, has been awful. He has 2 goals in his last 19 games, and hat tricks account for more than half of his goals. Add in the fact that the player who was supposed to be the powerplay quarterback this year is now in the minors, and it's understandable why the offense might be struggling. Fortunately, the team play that the Rangers anchor themselves too can last offensive droughts. The defensive corps is young but firm, and is steadied by the consistent Dan Girardi, and the All-Star Team allotted Marc Staal. The forward group is filled with forwards who excel defensively, like Chris Drury, Brian Boyle, Brandon Prust, Ryan Callahan, and Brandon Dubinsky. Furthermore, the Rangers' crease is well guarded by the outstanding Henrik Lundqvist, and the solid Marty Biron. This defensive prowess may also be contributing to the offensive lull, as players may be getting complacent with the team's ability to inhibit other teams' offenses.
Yet regardless of these seemingly logical explanations as to why the Rangers' offense is about as robust as any film starring Matthew Perry, there are some who hypothesize that the causes behind this drought are much more sinister. Their reasons for the causes? Gremlins.
That's right. I could hardly believe it myself. In light of this new development, I went to go do some digging. Here's what Rangers' alternate captain and all-star defenseman Marc Staal had to say on the matter, "This is not Marc Staal, my name is Bobby. This theory is stupid. Please don't believe the author if he claims that I am Marc Staal." Douche. Regardless of this adversity I proceeded to do what all great athletes do when they need to find something out- I watched film. For the next two days I ignored all bodily functions and needs, as well as familial and professional obligations, sat on my couch, and watched Gremlins while I ate Kashi Go Lean Crunch that I sprinkled in a jar of peanut butter. The experience was revealing, and elucidated much about the validity of this theory. Here is what I realized, in order of when the notions came to me.
1. Gremlins is the best movie ever
2. Gremlins are evil little devils
3. Kashi+Peanut Butter= Meh at best
4. Gremlins are fictional
In light of this last realization, I came to understand that this theory was impossible. Fictional things that can't do stuff in the real world. That's why I was always disappointed when my computer wouldn't bring me to a Digital world like it did in Digimon.
All in all, it was a formative experience for me.
Yet regardless of these seemingly logical explanations as to why the Rangers' offense is about as robust as any film starring Matthew Perry, there are some who hypothesize that the causes behind this drought are much more sinister. Their reasons for the causes? Gremlins.
That's right. I could hardly believe it myself. In light of this new development, I went to go do some digging. Here's what Rangers' alternate captain and all-star defenseman Marc Staal had to say on the matter, "This is not Marc Staal, my name is Bobby. This theory is stupid. Please don't believe the author if he claims that I am Marc Staal." Douche. Regardless of this adversity I proceeded to do what all great athletes do when they need to find something out- I watched film. For the next two days I ignored all bodily functions and needs, as well as familial and professional obligations, sat on my couch, and watched Gremlins while I ate Kashi Go Lean Crunch that I sprinkled in a jar of peanut butter. The experience was revealing, and elucidated much about the validity of this theory. Here is what I realized, in order of when the notions came to me.
1. Gremlins is the best movie ever
2. Gremlins are evil little devils
3. Kashi+Peanut Butter= Meh at best
4. Gremlins are fictional
In light of this last realization, I came to understand that this theory was impossible. Fictional things that can't do stuff in the real world. That's why I was always disappointed when my computer wouldn't bring me to a Digital world like it did in Digimon.
All in all, it was a formative experience for me.
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