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.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
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.
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