Flames Die Out; Penguins in Trouble; New Challengers for Detroit.

Who would have thought at the trade deadline that the acquisition by of the Calgary Flames of former Maple Leaf players Ian White, Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, and Vesa Toskala would result in the Flames missing the playoffs? How about EVERYBODY except anyone inside the Calgary Flames organization that had any decision making ability; honestly what were they thinking? Toronto played poorly all season long yet somehow taking a lot of players from that underperforming team would raise Calgary’s level of play? Snatching up these guys was supposed to aid in the Flames scoring woes, instead it did NOTHING. There are rumors swirling around that the Flames organization is in for a huge change in the offseason at almost every level, perhaps rightfully so. Many decisions made along the way contributed to Calgary’s elimination from playoff contention but the recent moves had a lot of say in their stretch run futility. The goal for the Flames coming into this season was to finally get past the first round…funny how things change.

With their 6-3 loss at the hands of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday the defending Stanley Cup Champions fell to a combined 0-10 against New Jersey and Washington this season. Despite that record the Penguins have managed to put themselves in position to have home-ice in the first round of the playoffs and still have a shot at winning the Atlantic Division. But that fact aside what does an 0-10 record against two of the best teams in the East mean for the Penguins in the playoffs? The numbers themselves don’t mean a whole lot since regular season head-to-head records do not carry over into the playoffs but it’s WHY they lost so many times to these teams that is the bigger story. Washington simply did to the Penguins what they’ve done to everyone all year and that is score score and score some more. There is nothing complicated about the Capitals’ game and many experts agree their lack of defense will be rather detrimental when it comes time to try to play and beat a team in a best-of-seven series. More alarming for the Penguins is their performances against New Jersey. The Devils used their neutral-zone trap to not only beat the Penguins but they dominated Pittsburgh in each of the six games they played. The Penguins managed only 5 goals in six contests—none of which were close including two shutouts. There seems to be something about the neutral-zone trap that as really given the Penguins headaches this year seemingly more than ever before. This style has affected them so much that the Tampa Bay Lightning utilized the same system against the Penguins recently to perfection beating Pittsburgh 2-0. If the Devils and now the Lightning have created a blue print for how to dominate the Penguins then it’s likely that other good teams in the playoffs could also use the same system and actually result in the Penguins being eliminated as early as the first round. Getting shut out by the trap on three different occasions against two different teams is no fluke and that’s why that 0-6 record against New Jersey is scary for Pittsburgh.

Lastly, it’s all over but the shouting out West! Every playoff spot has been clinched and now we simply wait to see what the match-ups will be. This year’s contest includes a few different faces from last season as the L.A. Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and Phoenix Coyotes have all qualified for the post-season play after watching from home just a season ago. It’ll be great to see some new blood in the ranks out west but we cannot forget the frequent fliers in the Detroit Red Wings being present in the playoffs for the 19^th consecutive year. Can any of the new teams replace the Red Wings at the top of the Western Conference Mountain? Tune in next time when we preview the west and I give the reasons why Detroit will (or won’t) return to the Finals yet again.

April 14^th is almost here!

Devils Dominate Pens; Red Wings Lurke; Blackhawks Goaltending Hole

Last night the Pittsburgh Penguins were held in check yet AGAIN by the New Jersey Devils who have now swept the season series against the Penguins 6-0 and in a decisive manner every time. One team dominating another like this is not rare, but the difference in this case is that the Penguins have consistently been one of the best teams in the league all year and are even still fighting for the division crown with New Jersey despite having lost every game against them. It’s not very common to see a team get dominated by another team and yet still be so high in the standings. So what does this mean for the playoffs? Quite frankly as long as both teams make it (as they surely will) it doesn’t mean a whole lot should they match-up with one another until the first game is played. If Pittsburgh can manage to win the first of a best-of-seven series with New Jersey then the slate is essentially wiped clean. However, should New Jersey beat Pittsburgh and dominate them the same way they have all year then New Jersey will have affected the confidence of the Penguin team so much that the series would basically be over before it even gets started. There’s no real rhyme or reason for the Devils’ dominance over the Penguins it has simply been a matter of New Jersey playing their system soundly and the Penguins allowing too many chances and not creating enough of their own. We’ll see what happens from here but if nothing else this series of victories should give New Jersey a ton of confidence as the stretch run continues and transitions into the playoffs.

For you Western Conference fans, don’t look now but the Detroit Red Wings are in prime positions to qualify for the post-season yet again.  As of right now the Red Wings have a one point advantage over 9^th place Calgary with a game in hand and have defeated the Flames each of the last two times they’ve played. No matter how the regular season goes for Detroit they always seem to do away with any weaknesses they showed throughout the year and return to top form when April rolls around. Detroit is also getting healthier so the likelihood that they’ll flounder down the stretch diminishes with each player they get back. Should they make the playoffs it will likely be as the 7^th or 8^th seed; what a prize for the team who comes away with the conference regular season title. You work all year to put yourself in the best position possible and you’re rewarded with a first round match-up against the two time defending conference champions. There’s nothing like a date with Franzen, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, etc. and all of their Stanley Cup rings as a way of saying congratulations on claiming one of the top spots in the conference. Despite how the season has gone for Detroit, if they get in you have to peg them as one of the favorites to come out of the west.

Lastly, what were the Chicago Blackhawks thinking at the trade deadline? In large point their team is solid and needs no adjusting in order to sure up what should be a run to the Stanley Cup Finals (that is a reasonable goal at least). But one area that absolutely needed addressing was goaltending. No disrespect to Huet and Niemi  but they are not ready to lead a team to the promised land. Neither has any playoff experience of note and while you can only get experience by actually playing, when the rest of the team is ready to make a strong push that is NOT the time for your netminder to get his feet wet.  Kane, Keith, Sharp, Toews, Hossa, Byfuglien, Versteeg, Campbell (pre-injury), etc. are all poised to improve on last year’s run to the conference finals by taking their respective games’ to the next level and the last thing they need is goaltending to bring them down. Going after someone like Manny Legace who has some experience, or even J-S Giguere who despite falling out of favor in Anaheim has a decent track record and perhaps a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered for him.  Either choice would have been worth at least trying because neither could do any worse than Niemi and Huet have been of late. In two Sundays in a row both Huet and Niemi have given up a plethora of goals in very short order causing their team to blow 2 and three goal leads respectively, blown leads Chicago was unable to rebound from both times. Sure that could happen to anybody on a given day, but twice in 7 days is unacceptable and it does not bode very well for Chicago this season if they play even close to that poorly in the playoffs.

Less than one month to go until playoff time!

Recent “Big” Trades Amount to Little

OK let’s get right into the “big trades” of the moment between Calgary/Anaheim and Toronto. Despite the headline grabbing the names involved result in and the size of the contracts of said names the ultimate net effect is ZERO. Look first at the move to send Jean-Sabastien Giguere to Toronto for Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake; the winner of this trade? Anaheim, but barely. Although Giguere has an incredible track record with a Stanley Cup title and a Conn Smythe trophy on record he has been subpar at best for the better part of three seasons now and was supplanted as starting netminder in Anaheim by Jonas Hiller. Sure there have been some serious off-ice issues that would affect anybody’s job performance no matter what their career the point remains the same that Giguere is now average at best and adds just about nothing to the table anymore. As for the Ducks they get Vesa Toskala who has done nothing but spiral downhill after a stellar playoff run in San Jose in what now seems like centuries ago. Toskala has been a grave disappointment for Toronto who had extremely high hopes for him. In recent years Toskala has shown that flash of greatness everyone expected of him from time to time but overall he hasn’t been able to pick of the slack and his mental toughness surely comes into question. So with respect to the goaltending neither team “wins” in this trade. Give the slight edge overall however to Anaheim because of the acquisition of Jason Blake. Blake is a pretty good player who has simply seen his fortune (as well as the rest of the team’s) turn for the worst in Toronto; perhaps a change of scenery is all he needs to return to form. It’s not so much that his numbers were bad in Toronto for they stayed rather consistent; his plus/minus however took a nose dive which speaks volumes of the poor talent around him. If Blake can keep his numbers up it’s likely that a slightly better squad around him can make all the difference. The one caveat for Anaheim concerning Blake is that he’s 36 years old so conventional wisdom tells you that his numbers are bound to start declining very soon.

As for Toronto’s other trade with Calgary it’s basically a wash when it comes right down to it. Dion Phaneuf is the biggest name involved in the deal and while he’s been a solid player for many years the expectations for him have been extremely high; expectations he has yet to live up to. Perhaps it is unrealistic to foretell that someone will win a Norris Trophy and then expect him to do just that or be a failure but in many respects that’s exactly what has happened with Phaneuf. The size of Phaneuf’s contract proves that Calgary was expecting him to no t only be the anchor on their blueline, but to also lead the team come playoff time with the intangibles the likes of Nicklas Lidstrom has done in Detroit for so many years. That simply has not happened for Phaneuf and quite frankly is unlikely to happen in Toronto. Phaneuf’s style is much better suited for the Western Conference style of play in my opinion and as a result he is actually worse off playing for Toronto now. As for the rest of the players thrown into this deal it’s unlikely anyone will be able to say either team made a bad move in acquiring them; but by the same token it’s unlikely that any player will really make that much of an impact.

Lastly on the trade front is the movement of Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust from Calgary to the Rangers for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik. The big winner here is Calgary because Jokinen has been nothing but a disappointment since going to Calgary from Phoenix just two seasons ago. Jokinen was expected to help lead Calgary to the promised land with his incredible goal scoring prowess. Unfortunately it simply was not meant to be for Jokinen who for instance this year is making $5 million and has 11 goals to show for it. Scoring 11 goals is a great accomplishment for a 3^rd or 4^th line winger for a defensive minded defensemen, but too bad Jokinen is neither of those. While it’s uncertain how he’ll react to the move to New York one thing we know for sure, and that is Kotalik and Prust can do just about anything once they get to Calgary and they will still not be as much of a disappointment as Jokinen has been. The clear victor in this trade is the Calgary Flames. Of course like all things, only time will tell what happens with these teams but for now it seems like not much will change as a result of these moves.



Winter Classic a Mega Success

The 2010 Winter Classic by all accounts was a big time success and I agree completely. The magic of the day was not tarnished by anything; the weather was great, the ice held up extremely well, the fans were fired up, and the game itself was spectacular. Three cheers for everybody who helps make this game happen because it’s certainly a treat for everyone and congratulations to the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers for putting on a great show leaving us all wanting for more.

In the meantime the other big news to come out over the holidays was the announcement of the various Olympic team rosters set to take the ice next month. At the moment the easy favorites to win the Gold Medal are Canada and Russia with the Canadians possibly holding a slight edge over Russia because the tournament will be held on the smaller North American size ice along with the fact that the games will be held in Canada which instantly gives them a boost. On the other hand, one might say that the games being held in Canada yields a slight advantage to the Russians because Canadians traditionally have a ton of pressure on them to win the Gold Medal anyway but now that pressure is intensified since Team Canada will be playing on home ice. Although there is a fair amount of pressure on the Russians as well there will no doubt be a lot less on them than on the Canadians which will allow them to simply relax and play hockey without worrying about any other distractions. Despite those factors it is still a virtual toss-up between the two teams in trying to pick the favorite but you can’t really go wrong either going for gold and everyone else likely battling for the bronze.

On the rest of the NHL front there are a number of teams streaking in both the right and wrong direction. The San Jose sharks are currently the hottest team in the league as the smoked Edmonton 4-1 on Saturday to improve their win streak to eight. Despite the streak the fans in San Jose are cautiously optimistic as they’ve been down this road before. In each of the last three years the Sharks have posted over a hundred points—winning the President’s trophy last year—and faltered come playoff time. This year’s teams is by far the best they’ve ever had but the question is can they finally carry over this success into the post-season.

Another team enjoying recent success is the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite losing to Boston in the Winter Classic on Friday, the Flyers have won four out of five and have earned at least a point in five straight. There is a long way to go for the Flyers who have dug themselves quite a hole but it seems they have managed to turn things around and make a legitimate push toward the playoffs almost overnight.

The Calgary Flames are also in the midst of a four game winning streak after coming from behind to defeat Toronto 3-1 on Saturday. This is a team in a situation similar to San Jose in that they have had a decent amount of regular season success that they have not been able to translate into the post-season. Strong goaltending has always been there for Calgary but what separates them from last year’s squad is a much stronger blueline with the addition Jay Bouwmeester in the offseason who is a plus 13 to date. It is his presence that has helped Dion Phaneuf up his game a bit and also takes some pressure off of Kiprusoff which is why this year is probably Calgary’s best chance they’ve had in years to advance deep into the playoffs.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are streaking as well but in the wrong direction. With their 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon the Penguins have lost four in a row, scored only one goal in two games, and blew a 3-0 lead to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the week. In a long season there are many ups and downs but the alarming thing for Pittsburgh is the way they’ve been losing. There is a long way to go and the Penguins have too much talent for such a streak to continue but they’ve got to find a way to score more consistently and protect leads when they get them.

The worst of the losing streaks belongs to the Atlanta Thrashers who have lost 8 games in a row after a great start to the season. There’s really no surprise it’s simply Atlanta being Atlanta until they show me otherwise.

Well that’s a run around the league a little bit. I hope everyone enjoyed the Winter Classic and have a great time ringing in the New Year! Have a great 2010 everybody!

Early Season Salute

I have to give an early season salute to the Ottawa Senators. I didn’t (and still don’t) think they would be very good this year but I have to give credit where credit is due. The Senators are 3-1-0 which puts them atop the Northeast Division. Granted, the Senators have defeated three teams that are hardly playoff teams in Atlanta, Toronto, and the Islanders. Nevertheless, when you’re a team that has experienced the problems the Senators have over the last two seasons you take what success you’ve had and run with it. Will they build off of this and ultimately make it to the playoffs? Not likely. But they have won three of four so far and as a football coach once said you are what your record says you are and right now Ottawa is a 3-1 first place team.

Another early season salute to the Calgary Flames. There is a lot of pressure on them to win and win now; that said this is about as good a start as one could have hoped for in Calgary. Not only do the Flames start 4-1 but three of those wins are against division opponents including two against provincial rival Edmonton. Division wins always carry a little extra weight in the standings but it’s especially sweet to take two from their biggest rival in pretty short order. Mikka Kiprusoff has been solid thus far posting a 4-0 record as back up Curtis McElhinney was in net for the loss. Perhaps the best part of all in this strong start is that Jerome Iginla is fourth on the team in scoring, which means other guys are getting the job done. If Calgary wants to continue to be successful that’s the type of production they need to get from Iginla’s supporting cast; so far so good.

On the flip-side, an early season razz to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nobody reasonably expected Toronto to be a great team but some thought they would be competitive and possibly contend for a playoff spot. But so far they have not shown up. Toronto has zero wins (one point thanks to an OT loss on opening night) and have looked terrible for the most part. The one good thing they have going is new goaltender Jonas Gustavsson who is currently injured which negates that for now and Vesa Toskala is dreadful. They’re so-so on offense, not so good on defense, and have an awful penalty killing unit, ergo he Toronto Maple Leafs stink, the end.

Western Conference Outlook

Tomorrow the journey for the Stanley Cup begins but for now we preview the other side of the coin before the puck drops, all analysis ends, and the games begin.

Ok corny intros aside here is my preview of the west (much like I did for the east) followed by the finals pick and who I think will hoist the Cup next spring.

The eight teams to qualify—in no particular order—are as follows: Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, and the San Jose Sharks.

The Detroit Red Wings are the best of the best again and despite having lost Hudler and Hossa they will simply use the machine of a farm system they’ve created to reload without skipping a beat. The only outstanding question in Detroit is the regular season play of Chris Osgood who put up subpar numbers last year from October through March. Showing up in the playoffs has always been Osgood’s M.O. but if he is as inconsistent this year as he was last season the rise of other teams in Detroit’s division could find the mighty Red Wings fighting for a playoff spot.

Things are looking up on the ice in Chicago as long as Patrick Kane can stay out of trouble off the ice. Kane along with Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews (among others) return while veterans John Madden and Marian Hossa have been added to an already star-studded roster. Much like their counterparts to the north Chicago’s only real unknown is in net as Nikolai Khabibulin is now a member of the Edmonton Oilers. The most seasoned and perhaps most likely person to provide stability for the Hawks between the pipes is Cristobal Huet who has shown some signs of greatness. No matter who ultimately gets and keeps the starting job as the goaltender goes so goes Chicago. If their netminder is consistenly good then Chicago can win it all, and if not then they won’t, but either way the playoffs are in their future.

Columbus got its first taste of post-season hockey last season riding mainly the back of surprise rookie netminder Steve Mason. While Mason will not enjoy the same amount of individual success as last year it is my contention that the team will fare better overall. Rick Nash is on a short list of stars on the Blue Jackets but what Columbus has over other teams is cohesiveness. This group has gone through a lot of losing together and last year they experienced a taste of winning. Last year’s success felt good to them and the bitterness of not winning a game in the post season no doubt left a bitter taste in their mouths and will only bring them together to work harder for one another to become a better squad.

Vancouver rode Roberto Luongo all the way to the post-season last year and sweep the St. Louis Blues out of the playoffs on the stick of Alex Burrows. The playoffs were a coming out party of sorts for Alex Burrows (according to some) and Canucks fans have to hope it was just that. Locking up the Sedin twins was huge for any hopes of being a serious contender for Vancouver but the past few seasons have shown that they cannot rely on the Sedin’s for all of their offense. Having three solid lines is something they have lacked for a few years causing their postseason success to be limited. Adding the experience of Mathieu Schneider will greatly improve their blueline but it will be up to the likes of Ryan Kessler and the aforementioned Alex Burrows to prop up this team to the next level. Round one is a given, but round two and beyond is up to Vancouver.

For the Calgary Flames it is short and sweet. They can make it to round one of the playoffs (as they will do again this year) but the question yet again for the Flames is will they have enough discipline to take their frustrations of first round exits and translate it into playing more sound hockey. It’s no longer about skill for Calgary, they’ve got that, it’s amount having the mental fortitude to better themselves as a team.

The Los Angeles Kings will probably be the most interesting and exciting story of the Western Conference this season. Most all puckheads agree that this team is on the rise but I think not only are they on the rise but that they will win their first round playoff series. Sure it puts me in a bind as far as other preseason predictions go but I’m saying this one supersedes all other predictions I make with the exception of the scenario in which they play the team I think will advance to the finals out of the west. Generally I am simply that confident in what the Kings organization as a whole is doing. They have taken their licks over the years but have spent a lot of time learning from those lumps and have put some pretty talented players in key areas. They have a lot of good, young players in Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov  (heading into the prime of his career), Jack Johnson, Jarred Stoll (also heading into this prime) and Jonathan Quick who was extremely reliable in goal last year and is likely to only get better. Along with this young talent they have added seasoned veterans in Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi who has just come off a Stanley Cup Championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Kings have the right people in the right places at the right time and barring injury this team is poised to be successful right now.

Lastly are the President’s Trophy winning San Jose Sharks who have done little to change their team in terms of quantity of moves but the quality of moves has been stellar. Dany Heatley was picked up—at the expense of Jonathan Cheechoo—and will be a wonderful addition to this squad. Regular season success has not been a problem for the Sharks (true of many west teams it seems) but Heatley puts them over the hump into serious contention to win the west. Heatley can not only score a lot of goals but he has enjoyed a fair amount of success before so his experience along with a chip on his shoulder to show those in Ottawa that he can still play is going to move San Jose along another step in the right direction.

The only other team that could make any noise should they make the playoffs are the Anaheim Ducks. Their experience is what sets them above the rest but unfortunately perhaps their greatest asset is their biggest downfall. The Ducks are an aging team who have lost yet another step at every position and can only hope to stay close until the trade deadline where they can maybe make a move for a younger group of players with fresher legs for a lengthy playoff run.  Edmonton is not far behind either but they fall short of the star power and physical play needed to succeed in the west. Goaltending is Edmonton’s strongest aspect but that was true last year as well so they will not get their either. No other team has a prayer of even getting to the playoffs let alone making noise once they get there.

With all of that said I think the Chicago Blackhawks will be the team to make it out of the west as they will find what they need in net and will go a step further than last year. Chicago will take on the Boston Bruins who will outlast a tired group of Pittsburgh Penguins to take the east. This sets up an awesome original six match-up which will be a marketing dream for the NHL. After an incredible back and fourth battle the Stanley Cup Finals will again go seven games at which point the Chicago Blackhawks will finally allow Marian Hossa to hoist the Stanley Cup as the 2009-2010 Stanley Cup Champions! Enjoy opening night everyone!

Seasons Greetings (Hockey Season That Is)

Well it has been a long time coming for but finally the NHL season is upon us and as such so is the return of the NHL section of sportsroids.com. I am just as excited as anyone for the season to rev up again so let’s get right to it.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back to defend their title and with the exception of the loss of Rob Scuderi the team is about the same now as they were on the day they won the cup. Despite that, repeating is going to be a daunting task because not only are they the defending champs but in order to repeat they will have to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for a third year in a row. At the same time they still have two of the best players in the world on their team so it will be interesting to see how the story develops in Pittsburgh.

As for the rest of the league there are a lot of intriguing stories to keep an eye on including some old faces in new places (for example Dany Heatley to San Jose, Marian Hossa to Chicago) as well as the return of a few from their disappearing acts (Ray Emery in Philadelphia, Theo Fleury in Calgary).  There are also plenty of questions to be asked about both up and coming teams as well as those who have been on the cusp but have not quite made that next big step:
In the East, can Washington play just enough defense this year to get them into the Conference Finals and possibly make their first finals appearance in the Ovechkin Era? Will Philadelphia finally get the consistent play in net they have lacked the last two years that will likely get them over the hump? Does the Southeast Division continue to be a two horse race or can Tampa Bay finally put their talent together well enough to become serious playoff contenders? And what is actually going on in Montreal and Ottawa, have they finally got their respective acts together?
Out west, will Chicago seize this opportunity to dethrone the Detroit Red Wings in the Central Division? Is Dany Heatley the answer to San Jose finally translating their regular season triumphs into post-season glory? Are the L.A. Kings poised to translate their young talent into a playoff appearance? Is Calgary ready to kick their first round exit habit of the last few years? What is the deal with the Coyotes, are they moving or what?

Of course along with all of the aforementioned questions there are to two major events on the horizon this year in both the Winter Classic (January 1 at Fenway Park) and the Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver this February. There is so much to talk about and look forward to this season. Over the next few days I will go through a preview of each conference, give you not only who will win each but what other stories to watch out for like what teams will overachieve and those that will disappoint.

So much to do and talk about, it’s great to be talking puck again. We here at sportsroids.com are very excited to start year two of hockey blogging, it’s great to have you with us!

Tavares Top Pick, Pronger and Boumeester Traded

Day one of the draft has wrapped up without any major surprises as far as the draft picks themselves go.  John Tavares, despite all of the secrecy, was eventually  selected first by the New York Islanders and Victor Hedman second to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Perhaps a bit of a surprise was Brian Burke not wheeling and dealing to get Toronto into that top spot as some speculated but it probably depends on who you ask. Biggest trade of the day was certainly Chris Pronger to Philadelphia for Joffrey Lupul which means the Flyers are putting a lot into next year as Pronger may or may not play past next season and Lupul just signed a four year extension. One might think the Flyers would try to dump salary but Pronger’s salary is much bigger than Lupul’s and Pronger probably will not play much longer. What the Flyers ultimate plan is will play out when free-agency stars July first but for now it’s a bit of a questionable move in my view.

Day two of the draft has started out with a bang as Jay Boumeester has  been traded to the Calgary Flames for Jordan Leopold and a third round pick. Finally the Boumeester saga can end as rumors have been floating around about him since the latter stages of last season. Calgary must see an awful lot in Boumeester for not only have they essentially traded two players for him but the deal includes Jordan Leopold whom the Flames picked up at the trade deadline in March. Calgary certainly needed to sure up their defense if they want to make a serious push in the playoffs for that was a major let down last season. Although Boumeester is still set to be a free agent come July 1^st the Flames will more than likely make him a lucrative offer that Boumeester will want to take as he is from Western Canada and is rumored to really want to play in that area. If the Flames do sign Boumeester that should make them favorites to win the Northwest Division as long as Kiprusoff can stay fresh by playing much less than 76 games.  As times goes on we’ll see how big these moves really are but for now they are the most newsworthy changes of the offseason.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Make Grand Entrance

Well the playoffs are now in full swing as every series will have played two games by the end of Saturday. So let’s take a look and how the respective series are unfolding:

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Bruins VS 8.Montreal Canadiens
The final score of game one was about what everybody expected but the level of competition between the two clubs was probably higher than most thought. Boston roared out to a 2-0 lead but the Canadiens battled back to tie the game at two before ultimately going down 4-2. But the rivalry is hot and despite the perception of a major mismatch it doesn’t seem likely to be over anytime soon. Game 2 is tonight before the series shifts back to Montreal so we’ll see what surprises are in store for us.

2. Washington Capitals VS 7. New York Rangers
Jose Theodore didn’t make it past the first game as he was benched for rookie back up netminder Simeon Varlamov after Washington’s 4-3 loss at home to the Rangers. Again many people felt the Rangers were completely outmatch by the fire power of the Capitals and that the only chance the Rangers had offensively is if Theodore didn’t play well. Theodore did not play all that well in game one and the Rangers stole one from Washington but surely things would be different now that Theodore was benched. Varlamov did indeed play very well in net for Washington Saturday afternoon as the Rangers were only able to net one behind the rookie netminder. Unfortunately for the Caps Henrik Lundqvist was up to the challenge and shut Ovechkin and company out. Now the series shifts back to New York with the Rangers having a commanding lead and looking for the sweep. Sportsroids when against the grain in predicting a Rangers win in this series and so far the Rangers have no disappointed.

3. New Jersey Devils VS Carolina Hurricanes
In a series that many felt would be evenly matched has surely turned out to be that way. After game one the Canes looked to be greatly overmatched; but after Carolina took game two in overtime we’ve got ourselves a series. The two teams are so similar in every aspect of the game and that makes the series a virtually toss up on paper. Sportsroids said Carolina in five and although that seems unlikely now we are sticking to our guns! Regardless of what happens there is a lot of great hockey ahead of us in this series.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins VS 5. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers seemed greatly outmatched after game one but game two was an entirely different story. Philly took the earlier lead but Pittsburgh battled back to tie. Then the Flyers took another lead only to see penalties allow the Penguins back into a game seemingly headed to the win column for the Flyers. But take nothing away from Pittsburgh, they dominated game one and although were largely outplayed in game two they took advantage of Flyer mistakes and now have a strangle-hold on the series. Don’t expect the Flyers to quit though as they move home to play in front of their rowdy and very unforgiving fans at Wachovia center. Sportsroids told you this would go seven games, and although that is still possible if Pittsburgh wins either of the games in Philadelphia the Flyers will be in serious trouble. The Flyers won’t fold but don’t expect Pittsburgh to take their proverbial foot off the gas.

Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks VS 8. Anaheim Ducks
People were wondering if the Sharks were finally ready to take it to the next level or if the same old Sharks would show up again in the playoffs. One game does not a series make but for at least one night it’s the same old Sharks. Granted, the Ducks are not far removed from a Stanley Cup Championship but the Sharks at least need to score a goal. There is still a long way to go but if San Jose continues to play like they did in game one they will be making an early exit.

2. Detroit Red Wings VS 7.Columbus Blue Jackets
As I write this post the Red Wings are leading the Blue Jackets 3-0 at the second intermission, this after winning game one 4-1. The Blue Jackets have been a great story all season but the playoffs are too much for them and so they are done.

3. Vancouver Canucks VS 6. St. Louis Blues
The Blues were another good story going into the playoffs but after making a pretty good showing in game one they were completely shut down by Vancouver in game two losing 3-0. Like Columbus, St. Louis is an up and coming team with great goaltending but they appear to be severely overmatched by the Vancouver Canucks.

4. Chicago Blackhawks VS 5. Calgary Flames
Game one of this series was probably the most entertaining game of the first round so far. Game one had everything you could want in a playoff hockey game: lead changes, scrums, great individual battles, fantastic goaltending and overtime! Sure Martin Havlat ended the party early by scoring only 12 seconds into the overtime period but if game one was any indication of how the rest of the series will go then this and the Carolina-New Jersey series have the potential to become classics.

Like you, we at sportsroids will be watching intently to see how the rest of round one unfolds. Enjoy the ride hockey fans!

Sportsroids.com’s Western Conference Playoffs Predictions

The Western Conference welcomes newcomers (Columbus), perennial powerhouses (Detroit) and those who haven’t been there in quite a while (Chicago, St. Louis). Those facts make for a very interesting two months so we at sportsroids will try to make it simply for you by previewing the match-ups.

1. San Jose Sharks VS 8. Anaheim Ducks
The first all California NHL playoff match-up since the 1960s puts the old dogs against the new kids on the block… in a way. San Jose has had some very good teams in recent years and have experienced a fair amount of playoff success by getting their consistently and winning their fair share of games. Despite the wins racked up since their inception into the league in the early 1990s, the Sharks have yet to reach the hockey summit. Expectations are now higher for them than ever before after a disappointing year last season leading to the firing of Ron Wilson in favor of Todd McClellan who brought the Sharks their first ever President’s Trophy. The Sharks are a relatively young team but the fans are tired of second round exits and are very much expecting a strong run at the Stanley Cup from the Sharks. On the flip side are the Anaheim Ducks who have been in the league less time than San Jose but already have two Cup finals trips to show for along with a Stanley Cup Championship two short years ago. In that regard the Ducks are the old dogs because they have “been there, done that” where San Jose has not. Bottom line is, the series will come down to experience versus youth; although I think Anaheim is a very dangerous team (despite their 8^th seed) who can cause a lot of damage if they get out of the first round. However, I think the Sharks time is now, their coach, city, and players are all read to take that next step and it starts with a six game series win over the in-state rival Ducks.

2. Detroit Red Wings VS 7. Columbus Blue Jackets
Much like the Sharks-Ducks series the Red Wings have been there done that and Columbus hasn’t… ever. This is the first playoff go around for the city of Columbus and the Blue Jackets franchise. There will be a lot of energy in the Nationwide Arena game four as the Blue Jackets host their first playoff game. Despite all the energy the Blue Jackets will have going into Detroit the Red Wings will have too much fire power for the Blue Jackets to succeed. Goaltending has been dicey all season for Detroit but as Chris Osgood has shown before when it counts he is top-notch. Blue Jacket stars Rick Nash, R.J. Umberger, Kristian Huselius, and rookie phenom Steve Mason will give Columbus a punchers chance in this series but will come up short. Cronwall, Zetterberg, Lindstrom, Franzen, etc. will be way too much for upstart Columbus… Detroit in five.

3. Vancouver Canucks VS 6. St. Louis Blues
Both teams have been hot as of late as St. Louis came from being down and out all the way up to the sixth seed; while Vancouver was 12 points down to Calgary only to surge back to snatch the division title from the Flames. When two hot teams meet on a playoff collision course there are usually a lot of fireworks and should make for a very entertaining series. The Blues have a lot of talent on their team in guys like Brad Boyes, David Backes, David Parron, rookie sensation T.J. Oshie and goaltender extraordinaire Chris Mason. They fought hard to reach this point and have a city that hasn’t seen the playoffs in quite some time pretty charged up. St. Lous will undoubtedly put up a great fight and may very well pull off the upset. However, the Sedin twins, Alex Burrows, Mats Sundin, and Roberto Luongo (the X-factor and probably the most important piece to Vancouver’s puzzle) will push forward in the playoffs and dispose of the Blues in five.

4. Chicago VS 5. Calgary
The Blackhawks are finally back to the playoffs and the city is on fire, burning with passion for their hockey team. Martin Havlat, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Sharp along with solid goaltending from Nikolai Khabibulin earned Chicago home-ice in the first round and some very excited fans. Many think Chicago can be very good for a long time but this year may be just a bit too early for the Blackhawks. They are up against a very tough first round opponent who are under a lot of pressure to finally perform in the playoffs after underachieving since their Cup Finals appearance in 2004. The Flames have assembled a lot of stars—Jarome Iginla, Mike Cammalleri, Dion Phaneuf, and Olli Jokinen to name a few—but the most important player on the ice will be Mikka Kiprusoff. The highly touted netminder has been nothing short of spectacular for Calgary over the years but has played a lot of games over the years (including this season) and has faced a ton of shots. Kiprusoff can hold up but will need help from the team in front of him to take some of the pressure off and limit the shots the Blackhawks get on net. 25-30 shots per game are ok but once you get higher than 30 consistently Kiprusoff is only human and will break down. Limiting shots on goal for Calgary is of the utmost importance if they want to finally have the success many think they can achieve. Although they blew their division lead down the stretch I think the Flames have the right pieces assembled to go deep into the playoffs…starting with a six game series victory over Chicago.

Flames and Hawks Sputtering; Carey Price Sighting in Montreal

A few stories of note as the season comes to a close concerning the races for playoff positioning:

1. The Chicago Blackhawks have played well virtually all season, but the last few weeks they have encountered some pretty hard times. Including their loss to Montreal Tuesday night the Blackhawks have lost nine of their last 13 and are in danger of falling out of fourth position and losing the first round home-ice advantage that goes with it. Perhaps it’s the fatigue of a young team going through a long year of high-level performances culminating in a losing stretch as they anticipate the commencement of the playoffs. The dip in play by Chicago is understandable but just because they haven’t made it to the post-season in a while doesn’t mean the fans will be at all forgiving if their late season struggles turn into a first round exit.

2. Tuesday night was a good one for Montreal Canadiens fans everywhere for not only did they down the Blackhawks 4-1 but Tuesday finally marks the return of the good Carey Price. Facing 29 shots, Price stopped 28—giving up only a flukie goal by Patrick Sharp in the third period—price shut down Chicago pretty well. But moreso than simply stopping shots, Price finally looked comfortable again in net; he was standing his ground, staying poised, and didn’t seem like he was overplaying every shot. This is a great sign for the Canadiens who need top-notch play from all positions but especially in net if they plan on making the playoffs and making noise once they get there. At the moment the Canadiens will likely take whatever position they can as long as they qualify for the playoffs but if they stay in 8^th as they are now the hated Boston Bruins would be on tap first…and the plot thickens.

3. The trade deadline moves by the Calgary Flames have not had the desired effect as they have lost eight of 13 since March 4^th. At first the Flames were having some issues with defense and goaltending but now that those have sured up a bit Calgary is having a hard time finding the back of the net. Calgary has scored only four goals in the last four games and were shutout two games in a row by Pittsburgh and Columbus respectively in back-to-back contests. Much like Chicago, the Flames have played well all year but are now in danger of losing the top spot in their division and may actually end up qualifying for the post-season without first round home-ice advantage. Meanwhile the Vancouver Canucks have really hit their stride and are quickly gaining on Calgary and may in fact pull the division right from under the feet of the Flames.

Flames’ Defense Burning Out

The Calgary Flames acquired Olli Jokinen at the trade deadline and many put them as the new Western Conference favorites—or at least up there with San Jose and Detroit—as a result. There is no doubt that acquisition of Jokinen will help Calgary’s chances of winning both the west and the Stanley Cup. However, since the trade deadline the Flames have gone 1-3 including losing three in a row by a combined 14-5. Granted, Calgary is on a long east coast road trip which is really hard for any team let alone a team from out west. That said, losing is one thing but giving up 14 goals in three games is pathetic. The Calgary Flames needed more help on defense than anywhere else and Jordan Leopold is a fine player but not enough to make a big enough impact to give Calgary the defensive improvement it needs (you heard that first here on sportsroids right after the trade deadline). So where does Calgary go from here? They are eight points ahead of the closest team in their division and it is doubtful this losing will continue once they leave the east coast so the playoffs are almost certainly in their sites. But as many fans, observers, etc. will tell you Calgary was not built to just make the playoffs but to be highly successful once they qualify. Size, offensive fire-power, and goaltending are all important aspects of what makes a successful playoff team; the missing part of that equation is strong defense. Limiting scoring chances takes pressure off of the goalie and the offense because if you don’t the offense cannot always outscore the other team who will net many pucks if a goaltender—no matter how great—is peppered with puck after puck. The Flames have a lot to figure out in the next few weeks because being outscored 14-5 is the sign of a team headed an early round exit, an abject disaster for Flames fans everywhere.

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Flames Win Big; Penguins, Rangers Improve; Canadiens Do Nothing

Now that the NHL trade deadline has come and gone the general consensus is that the Calgary Flames made the biggest splash acquiring Ollie Jokinen. Many in the hockey world think this acquisition puts them over the top and makes Calgary the new Stanley Cup front runners. Calgary did indeed improve their status greatly but not because of Jokinen but rather because of Jordan Leopold. In recent years the Flames have struggled in the playoffs in large part because of their inability to limit the amount of shots Mikka Kiprusoff. Adding Leopold may be just what the doctor ordered to take some pressure off of Kiprusoff and Dion Phaneuf. With this acquisition and Detroit’s goaltending issues the Calgary Flames have now put themselves up there with the San Jose Sharks as the front runners to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Looking to the bottom part of the West perhaps the most notable move was made by Columbus who acquired Antoine Vermette. For the first time Columbus is on the cusp of making the playoffs and now management has shown that they are both serious about making the playoffs and also about winning once they get there.

Turning to the Eastern Conference now it’s probably fair to say that no major splashes were made by any of the teams on deadline day. The biggest impact of any trade to this point in the season is probably how Chris Kunitz has played in Pittsburgh netting three goals and five total points in only three games. Pittsburgh added Bill Guerin in the meantime and have won four in a row all without Crosby, so adding Guerin and Crosby to the lineup probably makes Pittsburgh somewhat of a wildcard down the stretch/into the playoffs. Perhaps the “splash” of the day in the east was made by the Rangers who acquired Nick Antropov which may just be the answer to all of their offensive woes and may provide the spark the Rangers need to break out of their recent funk. Erik Cole going back to Carolina means they are sure to score a lot of goals the final month and a half of the season. The bigger question for the Canes is can Cam Ward continue to carry them defensively; they rely on Ward a ton and he will probably get burned out pretty soon.

There were also some “non-moves” that will greatly impact the Eastern Conference race. Most notable was Florida not moving Jay Bouwmeester. If the Panthers were going to make the playoffs or at least make any noise once they got there they were going to need Bouwmeester and now they’ve got him so Eastern Conference teams beware. Also of great significance is the fact that the Montreal Canadiens did not make a single move. After addressing none of their on ice issues the Canadiens promptly lost to Buffalo 5-1 in a game they were thoroughly outplayed by Buffalo in the final 40 minutes. Many (including myself) believed the Canadiens were the favorites to win the East and they still can do just that, but by not making a single move at the deadline coupled with Price’s continues woes their chances are in jeopardy. Mathieu Schneider has done a lot to improve their power play and it’s possible that Wednesday night was the exception but considering how poorly they played it’s hard to imagine. In the end, no matter how the season turns out these final 19 or 20 games will be an awful lot of fun to watch.

By the way, I know Sean Avery is back in New York… I don’t care.

Phaneuf Key to Flames Success

Dion Phaneuf has played well but he’s making money they pay to guys who should be in Norris Trophy contention and in that respect Phaneuf has greatly underachieved. He scored his 9^th goal Friday night but going into the game against the Wild he had 8 goals and 27 assists with a plus/minus of -10…that is unacceptable. Last year Phaneuf had 60 points and was a plus 12 on the year which are very good numbers for a defenseman and it is not reasonable to expect that from someone every year. However, when you’re supposed to be the leading defenseman on a team that gives up more shots than almost anybody else out there you’ve got to step up and score points of your own with regularity. In recent years the Calgary Flames have had some pretty good teams who have not done too much in the playoffs since reaching the finals in 2004. Calgary made many offseason moves to get bigger and tougher in order to be more successful but to do that the Flames will need their top players to be at their best every shift and that includes Phaneuf. As of now Phaneuf’s personal subpar performance has been good enough to put the Flames in prime playoff position but if his play stays at this level against the likes of Chicago, Detroit, or San Jose the Flames will find themselves making another early round exit.

Mid-Season Reflection

Every team in the NHL has now played at least 41 games which means the halfway point has officially been surpassed so sort of mid-season review is in order to see where things have gone and where we are headed as the stretch run approaches. Boston, Detroit, and San Jose are clearly the three best teams in the league each achieving high marks each by adding their own flavor. The second tier of teams includes the likes of the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers who can all make a ton of noise in the playoffs and should not be forgotten about.

The halfway point’s biggest disappointments have to be Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and Dallas in no particular order. Edmonton was picked to win the Northwest division by many and now sit tied for last place with 45 points. Their expected top players are underachieving not scoring very much and although defensively they aren’t terrible, good is not a good adjective either. Last year’s East champions are floundering in Pittsburgh currently sitting in the 8^th spot and are losing players like crazy seemingly on a nightly basis. The Penguins have suffered a number of injuries this season (and even before the season began) including superstar Sidney Crosby who is out with a knee injury (see http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/injuries?teamAbbrev=pit for a complete list of their injuries). This has resulted in a large number of AHL players having to skate for Pittsburgh but nevertheless they are not playing well and look far from last year’s finals form. As for Dallas, well last season’s conference finals appearance and subsequent thrashing by Detroit seems to be having a lasting effect. To follow the 4-2 series loss the Stars signed trouble free agent Sean Avery (who has been dismissed by the team), are getting unusually poor play from Marty Turco with subpar defense in front of him and oh by the way they are in 12^th in the West.

Enough doom and gloom there are some brighter points to perhaps balance these sob stories and they are the reemergence of the Chicago Blackhawks and the stellar play of the sleeper Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes may be in financial trouble by they are playing like a team bound for the playoffs and ready to ruin another team’s cup chances. Meanwhile the Blackhawks have evolve into quite a formidable team who can certainly do more than spoil the cup dreams of other teams come mid April. There is so much more to talk about and so little time but sit back and buckle up ladies and gentlemen for the second half of the season is sure to entertain men, women, and children alike. Just sit back and enjoy the ride as we watch the world’s greatest athletes charge toward sports’ most coveted trophy.

Flames Looking to End Playoff Woes

In the off-season the Calgary Flames acquired a lot of players they felt would help get them over the hump (i.e. the first round of the playoffs) they have been unable to surmount since the 2004 cup finals appearance. The signing of Todd Bertuzzi, Mike Cammalleri, etc. along with sewing up Curtis Glenncross among others seem to be working pretty well so far as the Flames now sit on top of the Northwest Division after their 6-3 victory in St. Louis Tuesday night despite the three game skid that proceeded Tuesday’s game. Winning the division will be a tall order for every team in the division as it is arguably the most competitive division in the league this season, so Calgary certainly cannot count on winning it to secure decent playoff positioning. However, although the ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, step one for Calgary is to win the first round and it seems this is the year that will happen. Jerome Iginla is once again playing very well leading the team in scoring and Kiprusoff’s goals against average is a solid 2.98. But what I think will accompany the high-level playoff stars like Iginla and Kiprusoff come playoff time is the team’s size. Being able to wear down opponents in a long series is what Calgary will have to do to be successful. In recent years teams they have played in the post-season have not seemed to wear down too much come games 6 and 7 allowing their offense to post high shot totals late in the series helping oust the Flames. This year I think they are better suited for a long series and if they can manage to avoid either Detroit or San Jose in the first round the Flames will advance to round two, then after that all bets are off.

Avery Goes Way Offside

Note to Sean Avery; keep your mouth shut! On Tuesday before the Dallas Stars were to face-off against the Calgary Flames, controversial center Sean Avery lived up to the billing with some off-color comments directed at Flames defensemen Dion Phaneuf. In the locker room Avery sought out the media and said “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about. Enjoy the game tonight.” For those who do not know, Phaneuf is dating Avery’s former girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman promptly suspended Avery indefinitely prior to a meeting that will be held later on to determine his ultimate punishment. Avery has a history of being an antagonist on the ice, and although he has walked the razor’s edge in the past, he went way overboard with this comment. Hopefully Avery is taught a valuable lesson by this and maybe he will realize that if he only keeps his mouth shut, and uses his skills on the ice, he will be much more of an asset to his team. Despite his reputation, Avery is actually a very skilled hockey player who most think would be valuable to any team with what he brings to the ice. Depending on what Avery’s punishment is, he should probably be very careful the next time Dallas and Calgary lockup.

Kiprusoff Struggles: Team Needs to Step Up

Miikka Kiprusoff has not been playing well as of late and despite his respectable 9-6 record, entering Thursday he had a very modest .889 save percentage accompanied by an embarrassing 3.31 goals against average. As a result of these poor numbers many people want to put pressure on him saying if he does not play better the Calgary Flames cannot be successful. Although that may be true it is about time some of the other players on that team felt some heat (no pun intended). Kiprusoff has bailed them out time and time again over the years when they have put lackluster defense and streaky offensive production in front of him. This team has way too much talent to rely so hard on goaltending. Jerome Iginla has carried his weight but he too can only take the team so far without adequate help. The Flames invested way too much money and time in the off-season bringing in the likes of Todd Bertuzzi among others as well as sewing up Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr long-term to lay so much at the feet of Kiprusoff and Iginla. It is still early, and the team is not in any real trouble just yet but despite their recent six-game-win-streak if the Flames do not shape up they will be facing another first round playoff exit square in the face.

NHL GMs Please Keep Your Coaches

From some reason the NHL is notorious for firing coaches at the very first sign of trouble. In some cases the teams can be doing reasonably well and slip for a week marking the end of that coach’s tenure. So far this season the Chicago Blackhawks have already fired Denis Savard as their head coach four games into the season, FOUR. The last time I checked the NHL season is 82 games long, so in my humble opinion the firing of a coach four games into the season, no matter the records, is outrageous. In the meantime, most teams have played nine games and some suggest newly hired Tampa Bay Lightning coach Barry Melrose is on the “hotseat.” Are you kidding me? Melrose has not coached in a number of years and he has a newly assembled team who need time to adjust to the new coaches and each other before they can be expected to have a great amount of success. So far there have been a number of teams that started slowly but been able to rebound including the Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, and Calgary Flames to name a few. Give Melrose some time. The all-time disaster in coaching changes was just prior to the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the New Jersey Devils—who had the second best record in the Eastern Conference and been crowed Atlantic Division Champions—fired coach Claude Julien. The Devils subsequently lost in round 2. Please NHL, stop prematurely firing coaches.