NHL Winter Classic Doubleheader?

The Winter Classic has been one of the best thing to happen to the NHL perhaps ever but certainly one of the highest points of the post-lockout era. So should there be two Winter Classics making for a New Year’s Day outdoor game doubleheader? The idea is this: first off it has already been determined that this year’s Winter Classic will be held at Fenway Park between the Boston Bruins and a team yet to be determined. What some within the game are lobbying for is a second outdoor game to be played in Calgary at the conclusion of the Fenway park version of the game. Among the supporters of this potential second game are Canadian fans and the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) because the first two Winter Classics have included U.S. based teams and it is unlikely the plans include a Canadian based team in Boston because NBC’s rating would most likely suffer. The NHL’s competition committee would have to approve of this second game and they will likely vote it down.

As a matter of practicality it is probably unwise to field more than one Winter Classic because part of its allure is how unique the event is. However, the underlying theme is an important one that should be well considered by the NHL and that is if this trend continues Canadian based teams will always be excluded from the yearly Winter Classic and that is an abysmal prospect. Hockey is by far the most popular sport in Canada, most of the  players on NHL rosters are Canadian born, and the support of all six Canadian based teams is second to none. The passion with which they support their teams by using their hard earned money to buy game tickets along with merchandise (both very expensive) among a plethora of other things makes them deserving of at least having a team in the Winter Classic. Sure the name of the game is money and the best way for NBC to do that is to increase ratings which will likely reach their greatest potential by having two American based teams in the game. But in the long run as a matter of principal these fans cannot be shut out forever. It isn’t fair to take one of the biggest contingency of fans and completely disregard them when considering what has become one of the game’s most sacred events. Even if there is ones team from each country in the game it is unlikely that the ratings will make a major decline since the novelty of the game still exists. As Sir Isaac Newton taught us for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and if the NHL does not work to include Canada in the Winter Classic somehow it will surely comeback to bite them somewhere along the way.

Many Questions to Answer in Wild West

The Western Conference playoff teams have been decided and only seeding is left to be determined. Congratulations to the San Jose Sharks for winning their first President’s Trophy in the team’s history. Also, Columbus is in the playoffs for the first time since the team’s inception into the NHL. There is also plenty of excitement in St. Louis and Chicago who are back in the playoffs for the first time since the lock-out. Along with those facts there are some exciting stories developing amongst the teams who have qualified for the playoffs. Will Detroit be able to repeat or is there goaltending finally going to get the best of them? Is Chicago’s young team ready for the spotlight on the big stage or is this going to be a quick “dry run” resulting in an early exit. How will the fans in Columbus react to the normal highs and lows of a playoff run? Will San Jose finally get over the hump and enjoy the playoff success that many people believe their team should experience? Will the Ducks of two years ago re-emerge and possibly get the puck back to Anaheim? Can Calgary live up to the trade-deadline hype that developed around their acquisition of Olli Jokinen ? There are a lot of questions to be answered and many stories to be played out. It will be a lot of fun to watch the match-ups get locked in and for the playoffs to get rolling. No matter who you’re rooting for and regardless of which Conference that team belongs to every Western Conference Playoff series will have incredible story lines and will be extremely exciting.

Top Teams Face Early-Round Exits

Coming down the stretch there have been a number of teams who are all but assured of playoff spots who have hit some turbulence. For example, New Jersey is in the middle of a six game losing streak, while teams in a similar position like Boston, San Jose, Calgary, Chicago, etc. have all hit similar rough patches in recent weeks. On the other hand teams who have been battling just to get into the playoffs (Pittsburgh, Carolina, St. Louis, Columbus, Vancouver to name a few) have really hit their stride as of late and are on their respective hot streaks. So what should be made of all of this? Well, quite frankly I think it’s great to have so many top teams becoming mediocre and teams working hard every night to get in getting so hot. That is because I think it will make for a very exciting and intriguing first round. No matter what the match-ups are there is going to be potential for a lot of upsets with a lot of teams with home-ice advantage finding themselves in a hole right off the bat. There are a lot of clichés to describe teams as being “battle-tested” or “playoff-ready” and while they may be true in a lot of cases (hence why they’re clichés) the intensity level of a team come playoff time is probably the biggest deal of all. As a result, what we’re seeing right now are a number of teams battling to get into the post-season playing with a high level of intensity. The players are hanging on every shift, every pass, every hit, every save, every goal; and that is exactly the mode you need to be in to be successful in the playoffs so it should be to their benefit to have been playing at such a high level for so long leading up to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the other top teams are muddling along just trying to “stay sharp” as their minds start to tire of the regular season and they begin to look ahead. By doing that the players are putting half-a** efforts into their playing which results in them losing their edge and can result in not just loses but a loss of focus and energy that can lead to injuries. All of that boils down to this; the teams who have been desperate will have that intensity level in the playoffs right away while the top teams will have a hard time just turning on that switch. By the time they do the series could be 2-0 heading into the other teams’ building and by that time the hill may be too big to climb resulting in plenty of first-round upsets.

Blue Jackets Success Good for Hockey in the USA?

The Columbus Blue Jackets have registered a point in eight straight games and have won seven of those contests including a four game winning streak. This recent streak, backed by the stellar play of netminder Steve Mason, puts the Blue Jackets in prime position to make the playoffs for the first time in the team’s brief history. Helping Mason lead the Jackets success this season is mister Blue Jacket himself Rick Nash who has been a very bright spot on a team which has had very limited success—that is, until now. Offseason acquisitions Kristian Huselius (Calgary) and R.J Umberger (Philadelphia) have helped make the Jackets a viable contender this year and possibly for years to come. With a core group of relatively young players Columbus will be making plenty of noise on the ice for many years to come.

The success of the Blue Jackets thus far this year is only half the story because what we’re seeing is a potential hockey hotbed in its infancy. Until this year the only hockey presence in Ohio that has had any sustainable success has been via the Ohio State University. Although success at the University level is great the potential for Ohio to blossom in terms of hockey almost certainly requires the success of a major professional team. The significance of the Jackets being in Columbus is that they are the highest level of professional sport in the city which means there is no competition for fan fair from the popularity giant that is the NFL. Success for the Blue Jackets can make them the darlings of the city and would be the first of its kind in the U.S. since other cities tend to have other pro teams in one of the other three major sports. With that in mind, the on ice play of Rick Nash and company is not significant only to the potential of the Blue Jackets and the city of Columbus, but it could also be a major victory for the popularity of the sport of hockey in the U.S. So American hockey fans, if your team happens to fall out of contention throw a cheer the way of the Blue Jackets, their success might help you out more than you realize.

Western Conference Race Heating Up

The second half is now upon us and the playoff races on both sides are heating up. The next two articles will preview the next 2 months telling you who’s in and who’s out. The West today, next time the East will be the focus.

In the West the top four are more or less in place with San Jose leading everyone by no less than 8 points steam rolling toward the playoffs and possibly the President’s Trophy. But as you look down toward the fifth seed it gets very interesting. The Anaheim Ducks are in sole possession of 5^th place with 55 points but are only ahead of sixth by two points where there are FIVE teams tied with 53 points with only three playoff spots to earn. Should it come to the point where a tie-breaker is needed to determine who survives this gridlock I’ll have it for you right here, but until then who needs the headache? So who is going to come out of this mess to participate in the second season? Under the assumption that San Jose, Detroit, Calgary, and Chicago will all make it (in what particular order it matters not, they’ll be the top 4 seeds) we’ll consider the lower half. Five through eight as of this moment (in order) look like this: 5. Anaheim, 6. Edmonton, 7. Dallas, 8. Minnesota. Columbus and Phoenix also have 53 points with Vancouver just behind with 52. To conclude this article is a brief write up on all seven teams remaining in the race and why they will or will not make the playoffs. But regardless of who gets in if you’re a fan of hockey then the next 2 and a half months are going to be incredible.

IN – Anaheim, Minnesota, Phoenix, Columbus

Out- Edmonton, Dallas, Vancouver

IN:

Anaheim – Despite a slow start, losing their general manager, and the aging almost before our eyes of every star on the team the one thing the Ducks did not lose was their hockey IQ. A team full of older guys who aren’t as talented as they once were and are not as physical as their Cup team from two years ago but they are all smarter than the next guy. So while teams are busy skating circles around the old guys dominating almost every moment of the game, come period three the “old guys” are still hanging around and next thing you know the Ducks are celebrating a win.

Minnesota – Defense, defense, defense, and more defense. Did I mention Minnesota plays great defense? When push comes to shove, that pesky neutral zone trap always prevails.

Phoenix – Gretzky has these guys playing like world beaters. And on the backs of Shane Doan the Coyotes can and will shock a lot of teams. Not only will they get in but if the match-up (I mean you Calgary) is right they’ll make some serious noise in April.

Columbus. Yes Rick Nash is awesome, and RJ Umberger provides a dynamic the Blue Jackets have lacked since their existence. But the key to their success is Steve Mason, his 1.98 GAA and .928 save percentage says it all. One and done? Yes, but this team will be good for many years to come.

OUT:

Edmonton – will somebody please score a goal? If you can’t score you can’t win, it’s not rocket science.

Dallas – Marty Turco has been doing it by himself for too long and now it’s finally wearing him down. When you have a GAA of 2.98 and a save percentage of .888 you’re getting NO help.

Vancouver –Luongo is fantastic but Mats Sundin is not the answer to your offensive problems and never will be. The Sedin twins just AREN’T THAT GOOD! Time to scrap this team and start over; what a waste of money.

Winter Classic Excitement

The NHL’s second Winter Classic is only two days away and the sports world should be in for a real treat. The Chicago Blackhawks have won 9 straight games and have recorded a point in each of their last ten. Not only is winning nine straight impressive but the Hawks have been putting away some very good teams including at home against Philadelphia and four road games against Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Minnesota. Chicago is getting great play from not just their big stars (Kane, Sharp, Toews, Campbell) but also from guys like defensemen Duncan Keith who has 18 points and is a plus 19 for the season. They are a solid team and are finally coming together to create what could be something very special not only in the years to come but this season in particular.

On January 1^st the Blackhawks welcome the Detroit Red Wings to Wrigley Field and rumor has it that the Red Wings are pretty good… Clearly the Red Wings are very good for not only are they the defending Stanley Cup champions but they are second in the West with 50 points trailing only the amazing San Jose Sharks who the Wings recently pummeled 6-0. Complimenting the Wings would take all day so I’ll just let mentioning names like Lindstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, and Frazen (among many others) do all the explaining themselves. Not only will the atmosphere be great but the hockey won’t be half bad either. The fans are hyped and the players are excited as face-off approaches. In two days the eyes of the hockey universe will be focused on Chicago, live at 1pm eastern time on NBC in the US and CBC and RDS in Canada. The wait… is almost over.

Welcome Back Chicago Blackhawks

It really is good to have the Chicago Blackhawks back in the playoff hunt; it is good for Chicago, U.S. Hockey and the NHL at-large. As it stands right now the Blackhawks are 6^th in the Western Conference two points behind 4^th place Anaheim and one point behind 5^th place Calgary but have two games in hand over both those teams. They are getting very good goaltending from both Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin, and watching Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Jonathan Toews is a lot of fun now and will be for years to come. It is also very nice to see the fans fill the arena to see the Blackhawks who, to the fans defense, have not been very good in quite some time. That said, two years ago the Blackhawks were 29^th out of 30 in attendance average and now they are first with 21,481 per game. Watching these fans at the Winter Classic should be a lot of fun and come playoff time they will give the Blackhawks an incredible home ice advantage especially because it has been a while since Chicago made it to the playoffs. Blackhawk fans are showing what a great hockey town Chicago really is and this is just the beginning of what could form into a series of great teams in the years to come. How can you not love a team that has its own song? If you have never heard the song the following link will give you a taste of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPBw45ETm7o . So to all those who think “no one” cares about hockey in the U.S. Chicago is yet another example of how wrong you are!