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!

Olympics End but Great Hockey Continues

A week ago today the world saw one of the best hockey games in quite some time and certainly the best game of the Olympic tournament. Despite tremendous tenacity expressed by the Americans it was hockey king Canada led by Sidney Crosby who left the Vancouver games with the Gold Medal. Crosby’s overtime goal marked the end of a fantastic two weeks of hockey that produced a plethora of unpredictable moments. While it was the Canadians who climbed to the top of the mountain, in the end the real winners were hockey fans the world over. So I take this time to congratulate the Canadians on their victory, to salute the game of hockey generally, and to bid farewell to what was an awesome two weeks of hockey.

With the Olympics now behind us we transition from one set of great hockey to another as the NHL stretch run goes into full swing. As it stands today spots 6 through 11 in the Eastern Conference are separated by a total of four points while the battle for the 7^th and 8^th spots in the West is an even tighter race. Over the next few weeks we’ll find out who made the right moves at the trade deadline and who should have done more. We’ll see if upstart Phoenix can Colorado (back to glory days depicted above?) can keep their level of play high enough to maintain playoff positions as it is a new concept for both of these teams as assembled today. Can the Detroit Red Wings manage to solidify a playoff spot or will they be left out for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the earth? Did the Pittsburgh Penguins add enough new faces to their lineup to sure up any deficiencies they may have had to put them into the team to beat in the East? Have the Washington Capitals finally addressed their defensive woes enough to catapult themselves into the category of serious cup contenders? Why didn’t Boston—who was top seed in the East last year—not do more to address their inability to score? All the while who will score more goals before season’s end Alex Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby? Each of these questions will be answered over the next month  and that means hockey fans are going to be spoiled from now until the end of the Stanley Cup Finals in June. So gear up puckheads because this is going to be awesome!

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.



Stevens Out, Ovie is Dirty, Sabres Quietly Making Hay

A lot to cover so let’s get going.

1. The Philadelphia Flyers fired John Stevens after four seasons in which he had experienced quite a bit of success. In the 2006-2007 season the Flyers were awful and Stevens followed up that season by leading the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals where they were eliminated by the Penguins. Then of course last season Stevens had the Flyers in the playoffs again only to see their cross-state rivals once again eliminate them from the playoffs.  Granted, there is nothing good about losing but there is really no shame in getting eliminated from the playoffs by one of the best and eventually the best team in the league. Thus far this season the Flyers have been mediocre but are hardly out of playoff contention currently sitting in 13^th in the East but it games in hand on every team in front of it so if it wins those games in hand a playoff spot would belong to the Flyers. It remains to be seen what will happen with this early season coaching change—and I was forced to eat my words about midseason coaching changes last year by Pittsburgh who made a coaching change then went on to win the Stanley Cup—but I do not think it will make one bit of difference for Philadelphia. There is a fair amount of talent on the team and Ray Emery has been pretty good in goal but the Flyers problems focus more on trying to win a fight on skates rather than a hockey game. Physical play is in fact important and it’s a significant piece toward becoming a championship team but being undisciplined is a dagger in the heart of victory. They also have to play much better defense in front of whoever is in net because in their last nine games they have given up at least three goals on seven different occasions. No offense to new coach Peter Laviolette but the Flyers are who they are and so I don’t think the season will go any differently with him than it would have with Stevens. (please see the following link for my preseason thoughts on the Flyers http://sportsroids.com/2009/09/27/eastern-conference-outlook/)

2. As much as I enjoy watching Alex Ovechkin play he is really making a name for himself as a dirty player. All of North America saw his knee-on-knee hit on Sergei Gonchar is last year’s second round playoff series, and now Ovechkin has served a suspension for doing the same thing to Hurricane defensemen Tim Gleason (Ovechkin also sustained an injury on that same play). There are some other questionable plays on Ovechkin’s record and if they continue to build up it will taint his image. No other player in the league can impact the game any more than Ovechkin can with his incredible offensive presence but hockey is a game of honor and if Ovechkin continues his dirty play he will have to answer to some pretty tough guys who will not go quietly. So if I’m Caps coach Bruce Boudreau I am making it clear to Ovechkin that has to keep better control of himself and stop with the dirty play for otherwise the Caps championship aspirations will be in serious jeopardy.

3. The Carolina Hurricanes got their first road win of the season in 14 tries by defeating the defending champion Penguins. Why the Hurricanes are so bad is a headscratcher but a sarcastic congratulations from me to them on their first road victory of the year. Here’s to many more road wins… or at least one more anyway.

4. Despite having recently lost two-in-a-row the Buffalo Sabres are quietly having a very successful season led by the incredible play of Ryan Miller. Anytime your netminder is posting an incredible 1.90 GAA you’re more than likely going to win a lot of games. But despite such great numbers Miller cannot go it alone and thus far he certainly is not. Tim Connolly and Derek Roy are leading the way with 21 points (6 goals 15 assists for each) with wingers Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek not far behind with 19 and 18 points respectively. Buffalo is not a flashy team but they are very consistent and find themselves ahead on the scoreboard come the end of the game and that’s all that matters. Their power play is less than stellar putting them 21st “best” in the league but they counter it with a penalty kill that is 3^rd best in the league and that is very important/impressive—it also helps that the Sabres stay out of the penalty box. The Sabres were very good last year before being crushed by injuries in the stretch run but so far this team is better than last year’s and if they keep this up the East needs to be on notice because fore you know it you’ll be shaking the hands of the Sabres and wishing them good luck in the next round.

There’s much more to talk about but it will have to wait for next time…

P.S. To everyone making comments, thank you so much and please continue to do so. Many of them have not been posted to the site (as you may have noticed) but I do not have control when those are posted so please keep the comments coming for they will be posted shortly. Thanks everyone.

Three Cheers for Shanahan

I will keep this short and sweet. The announcement came down this past week that Brendan Shanahan has officially retired from the NHL after 21 very successful years. Shanahan has won multiple Stanley Cup Championships, an Olympic Gold Medal, a World Championship, and Canada Cup title (now known as the World Cup of Hockey). No matter where he played—from his five NHL stops or for team Canada—Shanahan provided a presence that was unmatched by just about anyone in his time because no matter how the game was going every time Shanahan touched the puck in the offensive zone he could score. Brendan Shanahan conducted himself on and off the ice in a way that is very admirable and a way all young players should aspire to. He was a class act and the NHL was better for having him all those years and perhaps he will continue to contribute to both the NHL and game of hockey in his retirement.

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!

Eastern Conference Outlook

As the hour draws closer and the puckheads continue to salivate over the tease that is the hockey preseason it is time to supplement the appetizers before the hockey fest begins.

Eastern Conference Preview:

I’ll start by predicting who I think will make it to the playoffs (in no particular order) then we’ll look at least briefly at where each team stands. So here are the top eight teams in no particular order:
Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers (Carolina Hurricanes?), New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and the Washington Capitals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins should probably be the favorites going into the season because their team is a lot the same and they are the champs until someone else wins the title. They did lose Rob Scuderi but overall you have to like their chances to defend their conference title.

The New York Rangers lost Scott Gomez but have added Marian Gaborik who—if he can stay healthy—will add scoring power to a pretty solid but not spectacular line-up. The nice thing about the Rangers is that even if they do not score a ton of goals Henrik Lundqvist will keep them in most games, will steal a few, and will overall give them a chance to win most every contest they are involved in. Having a chance to win every game is not actually winning them however and that’s where Gaborik is going to be important for them. If Gaborik stays healthy he scores enough goals to get them enough points to get them into the playoffs. In the event that Gaborik does get hurt that will leave New York on the outside looking in and will open the door for the Carolina Hurricanes to sneak into a playoff spot. Carolina too is a solid team but Cam Ward cannot do it alone and they will not be able to rely on Jussi Jokkinen to play all year the way he did in the playoffs. But if any team should fall off at all (i.e. the Rangers) that opens the door for the Canes. Either way, neither team will be a serious Stanley Cup contender.

The New Jersey Devils are channeling their inner 1995 by bringing Jacques Lemaire back to captain the ship. Nothing has changed for the Devils since 1995 and as a result they can continue like a well-oiled machine with their new, old, coach. New Jersey is very much a system team so with Martin Brodeur playing behind that system you have to pencil them into the playoffs and as championship contenders. Some players have changed since last season’s first round exit to Carolina but it matters not as the methodical Devils will be back in the playoffs again.

In each of the last two years the Philadelphia Flyers have put very good teams on the ice but have run into a freight train headed to the finals in the form of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers got tougher by adding veteran Chris Pronger  but their folly has arguably been in goal and that is an issue that still has yet to be worked out. Philadelphia went across the pond to lure Ray Emery back to North America so the verdict is still out on whether the goaltending problem is fixed (one might argue that Emery’s attitude will cause more problems than it will solve). Bottom line, the Flyers talent will get them to the playoffs and at that point all they’ll need is solid (not spectacular) net play to put themselves in a position to win the Stanley Cup.

Boston’s future is bright because their talent level is a lot the same as last year. Phil Kessel was traded for some draft picks which speaks to how confident Boston is with their team from top to bottom. They still have Chara manning the blueline and they can score at the drop of a hat. There were a lot of questions about Tim Thomas last year and he’ll have to answer those same questions again this year. If Thomas is able to play consistently well the Bruins will learn from their experience last year and should be considered favorites to at least reach the east finals.

The key for the Buffalo Sabres is to stay healthy. Last season Buffalo was a clear playoff team until injuries struck them like a wrecking ball and their playoff hopes came crashing down. So if the Sabres’ stars stay healthy they will be a force, if they do not then Buffalo is not a force… it’s that simple.

The Washington Capitals can score like none other. In the offensive zone 5-on-5 and on the power play they are just about unstoppable. The Caps are greatly lacking defensively but certainly score enough to make up for that over the course of a long season. The biggest downfall of Washington last year was in net and that is their greatest unknown once again. Semyon Varlamov was certainly much better than anyone could have expected in the playoffs last season but is he the answer long term? There is no doubt that Varlamov has talent but he is still young and with being young come growing pains that every player experiences. If Varlamov grows quickly then there’s reason to believe the Caps can win it all, but if he doesn’t then it the fans in DC will be “rocking the red” to the second round of the playoffs and no further.

The Montreal Canadiens did three very good things in the offseason: let Kovalev go, picked up Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez, and got rid of Kovalev (did I mention that already). Alexi Kovalev is a very talented player but he was too inconsistent and caused too much drama in a place that creates enough drama on its own.  Gionta and Gomez provide stability as leaders on the ice and can put points on the scoreboard. Both players spent time in New Jersey so each know how to play a role to perfection. As long as Carey Price can keep his confidence up and the fans give this team a chance they can be very dangerous.

As for the rest of the conference there is very little to talk about. The New York Islanders are clearly rebuilding so the best anyone can hope from them is that John Tavares and company just improve from game to game. In my estimation the Islanders have far more problems off the ice (on the business end) than they do on it. The isles know they are rebuilding and are taking steps toward becoming a good team in time. This is in contrast to the Lightning, Thrashers, Senators, Maple Leafs, and Panthers.

Tampa has a lot of talent but did nothing with is last year and do not have a goaltender that can take them anywhere. Atlanta is just plain bad and probably will not improve very much in all likelihood. Ottawa keeps changing coaches, do not gel as a team, have lost one of their best players in Dany Heatley, and decided that adding Kovalev was the best way to stabilize/improve their team (very dumb). Toronto cannot decide whether they want to try to win now or build for the future. Last year they had enough talent to stay at the top of the non playoff teams for most of the year and this year they are in about the same spot. Lastly are the Florida Panthers who do not have a whole lot of talent (after having lost bouwmeester ) do not get much fan support which makes for a very bad situation.

So that’s the east in a nutshell (believe it or not). Tune in next time for the west preview as well as my Stanley Cup Finals pick and winner.

Ban Them For Life

I have often pondered the question of weather or not Pete Rose should get in to the Hall Of Fame. Usually my response ends with “If Rose gets in then Shoeless Joe Jackson should also get in”. Yet now I finally realize why neither of them must ever get in.

The Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is where Babe Ruth is immortalized forever. Think about that for a minute. George Herman “Babe” Ruth. It is wholesome. It is All-American. It is pure. The Hall Of Fame is the Vatican and Babe Ruth is Jesus. He did not ever play there. He did not invent the game but he was its savior. Was he perfect? No. Let he who is without flaw cast the first stone. But this is not about Ruth or Jesus Christ for that matter.

No, this is about integrity. This is about why steroids IS a big deal. I know that people are sick of it and tired of hearing about it. People are blind and also numb to the whole steroid issue. And that is fine. I am too.

But let me present it to you this way: How many people have been banned for life by throwing a Worlds Series, Super Bowl, or even a Stanley Cup since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned for life?

How many people have been banned from baseball for betting on games since Pete Rose was banned for life?

The answer to both is NONE! Yet I assure  you both Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose would gladly trade in their spots in the Hall Of Fame to come out “Not Guilty” You can not have your cake and eat it too. Simply put: If you wanna play you gotta pay. That is the precedent set forth all those years ago by Kennisaw Mountain Landis. It is the very reason why we even have a Commissioner in the first place; to preserve the integrity of the sport.

If Jose Canseco had been questioned and subsequently banned from baseball back in 1986 we would never have had a “steroid era” If Allan Huber Selig had done the right thing and demanded strict drug policy in 1994 without exception we would never have had to suffer through the pain of this era. Shame on you Mr. Selig. SHAME ON YOU!

If we continue to turn a blind eye and not care about this issue it is never going to go away and is only going to get worse. Allowing anyone from this era entrance to the Hall Of Fame after having been found “dirty” would be reprehensbile.

If you want to clean up the sport BAN THEM FOR LIFE! And let them know it now rather than leave it up to some bleeding heart sportswriter twenty years from now.

Ban Them For Life

I have often pondered the question of weather or not Pete Rose should get in to the Hall Of Fame. Usually my response ends with “If Rose gets in then Shoeless Joe Jackson should also get in”. Yet now I finally realize why neither of them must ever get in.

The Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is where Babe Ruth is immortalized forever. Think about that for a minute. George Herman “Babe” Ruth. It is wholesome. It is All-American. It is pure. The Hall Of Fame is the Vatican and Babe Ruth is Jesus. He did not ever play there. He did not invent the game but he was its savior. Was he perfect? No. Let he who is without flaw cast the first stone. But this is not about Ruth or Jesus Christ for that matter.

No, this is about integrity. This is about why steroids IS a big deal. I know that people are sick of it and tired of hearing about it. People are blind and also numb to the whole steroid issue. And that is fine. I am too.

But let me present it to you this way: How many people have been banned for life by throwing a Worlds Series, Super Bowl, or even a Stanley Cup since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned for life?

How many people have been banned from baseball for betting on games since Pete Rose was banned for life?

The answer to both is NONE!

If Jose Canseco had been questioned and subsequently banned from baseball back in 1986 we would never have had a “steroid era” If Allan Huber Selig had done the right thing and demanded strict drug policy in 1994 without exception we would never have had to suffer through the pain of this era. If M Shame on you Mr. Selig. SHAME ON YOU!

If we continue to turn a blind eye and not care about this issue it is never going to go away and is only going to get worse.

If you want to clean up the sport BAN THEM FOR LIFE!

Lemaire Returns to Devils

After a shocking and disappointing first round exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes the New Jersey Devils were searching for a coach after Brent Sutter resigned. New Jersey’s search has come to an end and the name will be familiar to Devils fans everywhere as Jacques Lemaire was rehired after first leaving the team in 1998. Lemaire was there for the beginning of the New Jersey glory days leading them to their first Stanley Cup title in 1995 which came about by perfecting the neutral zone trap which in a lot of ways contributed to the changes in the rules since the NHL’s return from the lockout of 2004-05. Although New Jersey later won to Cups without Lemaire (2000 and 2003) they have not returned to the winner circle since then despite a fair amount of regular season success.

I think it is unlikely that Jacques Lemaire will be able to push New Jersey back over the top because of how much the game has changed. Although the neutral zone trap is still an effective strategy to winning a lot of games in order to win a championship you need a balance of great defense and scoring. With the changes made to the game allowing it to open up more (less clutching and grabbing) it hinders part of what yielded the immense success of the Devils in the mid 1990s and pre-lockout portion of the new millennium. Having a goaltender like Martin Brodeur certainly makes up for a lot of shortcomings but it only pushes New Jersey so far in the right direction but not quite over the top. The Devils have not made any big ticket off-season acquisitions and if they want to contend for the Stanley Cup they will probably need to get another big scorer to go along with Zach Parise’s 45 goals and 94 overall points. Other players like Patrick Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner are very good players but they are not top scoring forwards and in my judgment unless one of those guys steps up or the Devils get another big-time scorer, Jacques Lemaire will not be able to push New Jersey over the top.

Team Cohesion = Championships, Not Amount Spent

When free agency began there were a lot of teams with a lot of needs and as a result the early hours have seen plenty of shuffling around. It’s funny to see how quickly teams respond to players leaving, for instance there is the news that Dwayne Roloson is heading to Long Island and shortly thereafter Edmonton makes a deal to acquire Stanley Cup winning netminder Nikolai Khabibulin. Teams spend a lot of money trying to improve their rosters and to play a bit of cat and mouse with their rivals. There are even GMs who learn from other GMs how to circumvent the salary cap to get their man; last year Detroit signs the likes of Zetterberg to long term deals and low and behold the rival Blackhawks do the very same thing when they signed Marian Hossa to a 12 year deal. So does spending all of this money, playing mind games, etc. really result in better chances at winning the Stanley Cup? Ask the pre-salary cap Detroit Red Wings and the answer will be yes but that system has not lended itself to very much success otherwise. Consider the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers of the past few years; so much money spent on those considered to be big stars but yielded very little success compared to expectations.

A great example of what it takes the win is the current Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Sure they have the superstars in Malkin and Crosby but anyone who watched the playoffs knows their performances alone were not enough. Guys like Staal (a star perhaps in the making but not their yet), Kennedy, and Talbot played key roles in bringing the Penguins the title and clearly would not have won without them. Picking up a few pieces along the way (not to mention a timely coaching change) and the Penguins had the cohesion needed to take home the Cup. We will know more about the makeup of the teams come training camp but in the meantime if you’re keeping a close eye on your teams moves in free agency be looking at the whole picture. It’s not just about signing the big scorer or even a big time goalie; what you should look for is if your team is putting together a cohesive unit. Make sure there is a role for every superstar signed and look to see if every role that needs to be filled is done so and you don’t have a bunch of guys all signed to do the same thing. If there is a place for everyone the deals work, and if there isn’t Championships become a pipe dream.

Free Agency Extravaganza

Arguably the most exciting part of the NHL offseason begins on Wednesday and that is the beginning of the Free Agency period. The draft resulted in very few moves which leaves a lot of mystery to unfold with some big names on the market including Marian Hossa, Alexi Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Marian Gaborik, and Rob Scuderi (whose stock went way up after his performance in the playoffs) among many other players who will likely be asking for big time deals.  Jay Boumeester will most likely be off the market (barring any disaster) before free agency begins so what can we expect starting Wednesday? With the salary cap only going up by $100K can teams afford to sign big names to gigantic contracts? And what teams have the most to gain from the frenzy?

Perhaps the most obvious place to start is in Montreal where the Canadiens have just come off a very disappointing playoff appearance and who have ten players to become unrestricted free agents (UFA). That will leave a crater to fill in a place where the fans are hungry for a Stanley Cup but have not seen one since 1993. In all likelihood the Canadiens (under new ownership) will go in a new direction and not try to resign big names like Kovalev since this core group has not had the type of success demanded by playing in Montreal. I would be surprised if they try to resign a lot of their players but they will have a lot of decisions to make. If nothing else, Montreal can hang their hats on the fact that they have a goaltender in Carey Price who should be solid for years to come if he just regains his confidence.

A team that is perhaps on the cusp and has a lot to gain from free agency is the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota’s goaltending is solid as Niklas Backstrom was just nominated for the Vezina Trophy and he’s got a great defensive unit in front of him. With that said Minnesota simply needs to get itself some goal scorers or just ONE and that should make up for the two points that kept them out of the playoffs this past season. Marian Hossa comes to mind as an option or perhaps the Sedin twins out of Vancouver, both options would supply the Wild with the scoring they seek.

There also may or may not be a shakeup in San Jose despite their enormous regular season success the post-season saw them exit in the first round. Some have suggested goaltending is all that needs to be addressed and Scott Clemmensen may just be the answer for San Jose’s alleged goaltending needs. Brian Boucher and Evgeni Nabokov did a more than adequate job in my opinion but rumblings in the San Jose front office suggests that it was not up the par in the post-season and they are not very happy with that.

The possibilities are endless for teams all over the league once free agency starts but there is a bit of a taste of the types of moves that could happen. It should be a very exciting day for hockey fans everywhere especially those who think their team is only a move or two away from making a run at the Stanley Cup. There aren’t too many offseason days that produce excitement and this is one of them so hopefully it is an enjoyable one for those needing a hockey fix since the end of the finals.

Penguins Win, Treat Fans to Game Seven

The Pittsburgh Penguins answered the call Tuesday night to force game seven on Friday in Detroit. Pittsburgh used a lot of energy to dominate the entire first period and second putting up two goals before Detroit could get on the board. A few interesting notes about Tuesday’s game are as follows: Sidney Crosby only played 17 minutes while Tyler Kennedy played 19; neither Malkin nor Crosby figured in on the score sheet; the players (excluding goaltenders) who had the best game were probably Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy, Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi; and last but not least Chris Osgood played a great game and the Penguins still won. Marc-Andre Fleury huge because he kept Detroit out of the net toward the end of the game which was exactly how Pittsburgh needed him to play after yielding five goals in game five. No save was any bigger than the breakaway save on Dan Cleary which probably would have put the Penguins behind the eight ball in terms of momentum.

On the other end were the Detroit Red Wings who were outplayed for most of the night but all-in-all did not play a bad game. Detroit was able to completely shut Malkin and Crosby out –at least kept them both off the score sheet—which most people ahead of time would have said that Detroit completing such a task would result in them hoisting the Stanley Cup. Chris Osgood also played a very solid game—as previously mentioned—a performance good enough for a victory on most nights. The unfortunate thing for Detroit was that they probably set out that night saying they would make the role players for the Penguins beat them on this night and Pittsburgh did just that. It’s unlikely that the Red Wings will panic as a result but it definitely gives them something to think about going into game seven.

It’s probably too early to make do any serious predictions about game seven just yet. With that in mind it’s probably safe to say that the sports world will be very excited in anticipation of this game. There are storylines aplenty as there have been all series long, and if nothing else the Penguins have garnered more respect from the Red Wings than they had before the series started. All of the stats will be thrown out the window once the puck drops on Friday night and it should be quite a treat for everyone from the diehard hockey fan to the casual fan of sport. Let the hype begin as Pittsburgh and Detroit prepare for a one game playoff for the Stanley Cup!

Detroit a Win Away; Penguins Collapse, Need Not Panic

After game three the tide had indeed turned in favor of the Pittsburgh Penguins as they parlayed their momentum into a 4-2 game four win to even the series at two. That momentum carried into the first period of game five which saw the Penguins outshoot Detroit 10-8 but resulting in the Red Wings taking a 1-0 first period lead. Then the wheels fell off… Three straight power play goals put the Red Wings ahead 4-0 and they never looked back. Pittsburgh lost its composure as they continued to tack up the penalties that ultimately led to the dismissal of Marc-Andre Fleury and a 5-0 Detroit win putting them only one win from their second straight Stanley Cup Title and Pittsburgh’s second straight finals loss. Fortunately for the Penguins the score does not carry over into the next game so they can start anew as they face series elimination prior to game seven for the first time in these playoffs and only the third time in the last two years. All Pittsburgh has to do in game six is forget about the second period of that game and return to their first period form of game five—and with the home crowd on their side that should be fairly easy to accomplish. There is no need for them to panic because they have amazing skill, talent, speed, coaching, and leadership to aid them in forcing a game seven in Detroit.

For Detroit it’s the same old story. They are one win away from winning their second straight title and fifth since 1997. They have allowed their experience and skill (along with impeccable coaching from Mike Babcock) to carry them through adversity by staying disciplined and focused. The Penguins can learn a whole lot from Detroit in how they bounced right back from dropping two in a row in Pittsburgh and having a game four second period to forget. As long as they remain patient, whether any early storm, and stay out of the penalty box (as they did Saturday night) they will no doubt be raising the Stanley Cup around 10:20pm or so Tuesday night.

From the causal Fan’s point of view hopefully game six is as entertaining as the rest of the series had been prior to period two of game five. And I see no reason why it wouldn’t be. If for no other reason excitement should build because for the first time this year the Cup will be in the house! Enjoy the game everyone.

[*Some of you may have noticed the drop off in the consistency of my posts the past couple of weeks. I was on vacation and had some unforeseen computer problems which did not allow me to post when I would have liked. But now I am back to my home computer and things are fine again; so thank you all for your patience and for sticking with me!]

Stanley Cup Finals Sure to Excite

Ladies and gentlemen the time has arrived as hockey fans the world over gear up for the sports biggest club competition final featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. The storylines in this series are plenty as the defending champs try to stave off last year’s runner-up in the new and improved Pittsburgh Penguins. Beyond all of the hype and excitement is where we find the keys to victory for each team. For Pittsburgh they need to have their best players be their best players and have each role player take his role and embrace it every step of the way. If someone is in a scoring slump he shouldn’t try to do too much to make up for the slack simply allow everyone else to fill in the void and focus on doing one thing and doing it well. Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury will have to be at the top of their game for sure but the team needs to rely a lot on last year’s journey and the success of veterans like Billy Guerin whether it’s on game day or at practice. Detroit on the other hand needs to overcome their health problems. The biggest hurdle for them is have played three overtime contests in the last round and are licking their wounds as a result. Otherwise the team has nothing to worry about as just about all of them have experienced an enormous amount of success. Unlike last year however this series will have a different tone and the Pittsburgh Penguins will use their grit, experience, and skill to raise the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1992 and the third time in team history. No curse here for touching the Prince of Whales Trophy folks, it will be the Penguins taking home the 2008-2009 Stanley Cup Title. Enjoy the Finals everyone!

Pens-Canes Battle for Eastern Conference Title

The Eastern Conference Finals start tomorrow night between the defending Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins and the last team to win the Stanley Cup out of the east in the Carolina Hurricanes. These two teams may not have the natural rivalry Pittsburgh had with Washington but there is plenty to keep us entertained. Most notably is the sibling rivalry that puts Eric Staal (Carolina) against brother Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh) for the first time in the playoffs. While there no doubt the utmost respect between the brothers anyone who has a sibling knows that there’s nothing like beating a sibling and claiming bragging rights in the family. There is also the Pittsburgh connection that Hurricanes assistant coach Ron Francis has as he won two Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992. But the best motivation for each team is the fact that this series is for a chance to play for the Stanley Cup! No professional hockey player needs any more motivation than that. So let’s take a look at each team, their respective keys to victory and my prediction of how this series will turn out. [After going 4-4 in round one the sportsroids.com predictions are now at 7-5 and looking to improve!]

The Carolina Hurricanes are only three years removed from hoisting the Stanley Cup and still have a number of members from the 2006 team on the 2009 version which is an invaluable asset. The most important of that group is Conn Smythe winning goaltender Cam Ward. Ward has been the key to Carolina’s success all year long; he has been the reason they qualified for the playoffs and why they were able to advance past both New Jersey and Boston, two teams who many had going to the Finals. In order for Carolina to have any chance of defeating Pittsburgh Cam Ward must be top-notch. Carolina simply does not have the fire power to outmuscle Pittsburgh in an offensive shootout so it is imperative that Cam Ward shuts them down. Aside from Ward the Hurricanes will have to make use of their speed and grit to be victorious. The Canes do not have a whole lot of size so they will have to use their speed to create scoring chances and make sure they get optimal scoring performance from Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen just as they have thus far in these playoffs. Carolina will also need to use their speed to be gritty down low in both zones and be the first to loose pucks in the neutral zone and in the defensive zone. But even if Carolina does all that if Cam Ward isn’t almost perfect they still won’t win.

The key for Pittsburgh? Surprise Surprise, it’s get to Cam Ward! We know the star power that exists on the Penguins and their ability to get secondary scoring from people all over the line-up. Generally speaking the Penguins simply need to keep playing the way they’ve been playing throughout the playoffs and also need to have Fleury return to the form he was in against the Philadelphia Flyers. One can talk about strategy from the Penguins’ prospective all day long but the bottom line is they need to get to Cam Ward. If Pittsburgh makes Cam Ward look human they will advance in the series with little trouble; if they don’t the series will go a long way, Pittsburgh will start to get frustrated and before you know it Carolina will be headed to the Stanley Cup Finals. Despite all that, barring major injury, I don’t think Carolina matches up well with Pittsburgh and although the games will be very close it will be Pittsburgh advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals defeating Carolina in five games. And so for the second it will be the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Detroit Red Wings for the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.

NHL Round Two Extremely Entertaining

Round two of the playoffs has been the best round of the post-season by far to this point and the excitement continues to build. Let’s take a brief look at each series up to this point.

Eastern Conference:

3. Washington Capitals VS 4. Pittsburgh Penguins
This has been the keynote series since the second round draw came out and it has not disappointed. Four of the five games have been decided by one goal and two were decided in overtime. The big stars Ovechkin and Crosby have stepped up to the plate and have excelled in the spotlight as all of North America looks on. There has also been plenty of drama to boot with both sides making complaints about the officiating at one point or another and Ovechkin hitting Sergei Gonchar knee-on-knee which has created plenty of controversy across the airwaves. The series has been the perfect showcase for the NHL as hardcore and casual fans alike tune in and are NOT disappointed. As of the writing of this article the Penguins have taken a 3-2 series lead after dropping the first to in Washington. Pittsburgh finally got some secondary scoring in game five and it proved to be the difference between the two teams as the big stars continue to cancel each other out. Penguin fans would love for this series to finish in six, but for the rest of the world how could this series culminate any better than if it comes down to game seven on Wednesday at Verizon Center?

1. Boston Bruins VS 6. Carolina Hurricanes
For many this has been the shocker of the three Conference Semi-finals as the high-powered Bruins were seemingly going to steam roll the Hurricanes right into the Conference finals. However, since the end of game one it has been all Carolina. Cam Ward, Eric Staal and Jussi Jokinen have been unbelievable leading the Canes to an unlikely 3-1 series lead. The difference in the series comes down to Carolina’s best players performing at the highest level while the Bruins have not been able to rely on their studs as much as they have all year. Zdano Chara in particular has not been the same since game one where he shut down Eric Staal. For the Bruins to get back into the series they have to better utilize their size to create offense and continue to put pressure on Cam Ward. Boston cannot win by simply getting frustrated when Ward plays well and by trying to fall back into their defensive style when they’re only up by one or when the game is tied, playing not to lose rather than to win. There is a lot of speed on the Canes and the Bruins need to neutralize that speed with some pace of their own. But don’t think this is a fluke because the Canes have plenty of talent and have been to the promised land before winning the Cup in 2006.

Western Conference:

2. Detroit Red Wings VS 8. Anaheim Ducks
Jonas Hiller had been playing extremely well until Thursday night when he was pulled for veteran netminder J.S. Giguere. Overall the Ducks have played incredibly well making use of their size and skill to stick with the same attributes as Detroit. Much has been written about this series on sportsroids in recent days which you can see by clicking HERE. The only difference at this point is that whoever plays in net for Anaheim has to be almost flawless while the rest of the Ducks do what they’ve been doing all along. Detroit will probably end up winning this series but the Ducks have show a ton of grit which has made for a very entertaining and suspenseful series.

3. Vancouver Canucks VS 4. Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have shown that they are not simply content with making it to the second round of the playoffs and that they feel they have a chance to go much further with their team’s make-up. With the stars that Chicago has there’s no reason to believe that they can’t get into the Conference Finals and maybe beyond that. The Canucks on the other hand have needed to rely way too much on Roberto Luongo to win games for them and they are playing on barrowed time if they keep that up. As this article is being written the Canucks have a 2-1 lead in the second period after finally getting a goal from Mats Sundin. Guys like Sundin, Kesler, the Sedin twins and Burrows have to play at the highest level possible every minute of every game in order for the Canucks to get beyond just round two. Luongo alone can only carry them but so far. Regardless of the outcome however the series has been quite entertaining (much like the other three) and perhaps they will treat us to a game seven which every fan loves.

The Ducks Are Mighty Again

Coming into Thursday night the Anaheim Ducks had a 2-1 series lead over the defending champion Detroit Red Wings; as I write this they have yet to face off in game four. Regardless of the outcome of Thursday’s game the Ducks have proven that despite their eight seed they are not intimidated by the Red Wings nor star struck by their success. The Ducks have had as much success in recent years as the Red Wings with just as many superstars and are playing without fear. Anaheim is hitting Detroit in the mouth disallowing them from using their enormous skill to the fullest potential. The Ducks have certainly relied on playoff newcomer Jonas Hiller—who has stepped up to the challenge and passed the test with flying colors—but they are also taking advantage of the few opportunities they do get to get the puck behind Chris Osgood. As good as the Pittsburgh-Washington series has been many would argue with validity that this series has been at least equally as entertaining. There is a strong possibility that the winner of this series will go on to win the Stanley Cup. Sure the games are on late when played in Anaheim but if you have the chance stay up one night to check this series out. Great goaltending, physical play, incredible skill, and plenty of drama are all contained in this series with a triple overtime game to boot! As a hockey fan or simply a fan of sports in general what’s not to like about this series?

P.S. A lot has happened on and off the ice this week… tune in this weekend for this week in hockey review

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.

Beware of the Wounded Ducks

With the last week of the season upon us the crazy race to the playoffs in the Western Conference is starting to solidify. The top five spots are already sewed up the only question now is where in the pecking order each team will fall. Detroit and San Jose have been jostling at the top of the conference seemingly since day one, and there is something to be said for that come playoff time. However, the most dangerous team that nobody is talking about resides in Anaheim. The Ducks’ biggest challenge this season will be just qualifying for the post-season; but once they’re in it will take a lot of pressure off of them and they will be able to shine. The Ducks have already taken themselves out of the bottom of the west where they seemed to be fading away into 7^th position overall. Anaheim’s experience is carrying them a long way and it is that very experience that will lead them to post-season success. The likes of Selanne, Pronger, J.S. Giguere, and the Niedermayer brothers have all been there before and will not shy away from any adversity that comes their way. Keep in mind that just two years ago this team was hoisting the Stanley Cup and last year’s early exit was very much a result of sheer fatigue. But now the Ducks are back, they are rolling right along and they can beat anybody at any time. There is no fear in the 2008-2009 version of the Anaheim Ducks and despite the odds against them (namely their age) don’t be surprised to see these Ducks go deep into the playoffs and perhaps even win it all.

Roy Eyes NHL Headcoaching Job

Rumor has it that Patrick Roy is interested in a headcoaching job in the NHL RIGHT NOW. How Roy would be as a coach at the top level no one really knows but it would be a lot of fun. His personality as a player added a flashiness that was uncanny. Generally speaking Roy’s affinity for the spotlight in showtime did not interfere with his on ice play; in fact it probably caused him to raise his game. Imagine that same pizzazz and energy behind the bench. A glimpse of that was seen in his endeavors as a coach at the junior level but with some controversy. At the NHL level that style will in all likelihood create little if any controversy to the extent it did at his junior gig. In fact, that style will probably energize players and fans alike leading to some very entertaining nights whether it’s midseason or in the thick of the playoffs. Roy will probably coach in either Montreal or Colorado and no matter which city he lands in there will be storylines-a-plenty. If he ends up in Montreal the media will have a field day with the return of a living legend to where it all started for him in 1986. A love-hate relationship with the fans and media in Montreal will surely develop as the hockey crazed city that defines success by two words and two words only “Stanley Cup.” Roy will know what to expect in that situation and I think he’ll thrive on the pressure that will definitely be placed square on his shoulders. So between the fans, the media, (not to mention the unceremonious way in which he left the team as a player)and all of the ghosts of the old forum that are bellowing in the hallways of the Bell Centre, Patrick Roy in Montreal would be anything but dull.

Patrick Roy in Denver would also work out quite well. With the energy he’ll bring to the bench (as discussed above) he can reinvigorate a city that has been an unbelievable hockey town since they moved there from Quebec City almost 15 years ago. The team did not have a good year and for the first time in a long time some of the seats at the Pepsi Center remained unoccupied. Putting Roy behind the bench will certainly put fans back in the seats and give the Avalanche some much needed national attention (from both Canada and the U.S.). Of course it wouldn’t only be the fans who would be excited about Roy’s return to Denver but also the players who would feed off of Roy’s fire and passion for the game. And last, but not least, is the hype that would inevitably be created leading up to the four meetings between Patrick Roy and Wayne Gretzky. Two living legends leading their teams against one another is sure to add an extra intangible element to that match-up. As of right now there is really no rivalry between Colorado and Phoenix but with these two guys behind the bench, their respective competitive natures are sure to spill over onto the ice which is a very exciting prospect.

Love him or hate him no matter where Roy ends up his presence will have nothing but a positive effect on his team, the city, and the league as a whole.

Bruins Bittersweet Victory; The Blues Sound Sweet in St. Louis

Despite their 7-5 win Saturday night the Boston Bruins have a lot of questions to ask/problems to address. First and foremost is goaltending. A lot of people don’t really believe in Tim Thomas being able to lead Boston to the Stanley Cup, but Thomas has yet to let them down and can still come up big in the playoffs. However, one question that was answered for certain Saturday was whether the Bruins could rely on Manny Fernandez should Thomas come up short in the playoffs or get injured. Fernandez gave up five goals on 38 shots but at one point had given up four goals on only 26 shots to TORONTO. Most would agree that the Leafs are a competitive team and have been playing great hockey as of late but four goals on 26 shots by a goalie on a playoff team is unacceptable. The one caveat to Fernandez’s performance is that the Bruins played awful defense in front of him. Boston still has a legitimate shot at winning the President’s trophy but this shaky defensive play and poor goaltending might make the President’s trophy their only reasonable shot at hardware this season.

In other news, a team doing the opposite of the Boston Bruins is in Saint Louis. The Blues have played amazingly well as of late and have battled back from deep in the standings into a tie with Edmonton for the final playoff spot in the west after defeating Columbus Saturday night. It has been an awfully long time since Blues fans have had something to cheer about so perhaps they were due. Saint Louis was awful at the all-star break as they were below .500 and seemed destined to only seek further at the commencement of the league’s second half. Instead, the Blues have rallied behind new number one netminder Chris Mason and despite having seasoned veterans like Keith Tkachuk but have been getting the most production from youngsters like Brad Boyes and David Perron. The Blues may not make the playoffs once all is said and done, and may make little noise even if they do. That said, the Blues have given their fans something to cheer about as well as look forward to. The future on ice in Saint Louis is very bright and hopefully that can reenergize a city with great fans who have really gotten behind the Blues in the past and the future will likely be no different. They are a fun team to watch and worth keeping an eye on this year and for many years to come.

Canadiens Bomb as Ship Begins to Fade Below Surface

Mayday! Mayday! The Montreal Canadiens’ ship is sinking and it’s sinking quickly. At the all-star break the Montreal Canadiens were one of the best teams in the league. They had Robert Lang going, Carey Price was living up to the billing by seemingly evolving into one of the best goaltenders in the league, and despite a subpar power play—and Alex Kovalev for that matter—it was smooth sailing in Montreal. Since January 27^th however the story has been much different. Robert Lang was lost for the year with an achillies injury, Price has gone off the deep end, Kovalev’s game has not really improved at all, Mathieu Schneider’s reacquisition had too short a positive effect, no moves were made at the trade deadling, and now Bob Gainey has replaced Guy Carbonneau with who else but Bob Gainey (and throw in an alleged link to organized crime by the Kostitsyn brothers to boot). A 5-2 loss to rival Toronto made it only four points in their last nine games dropping them to eighth in the east with only one point separating them from complete playoff exclusion. Many solutions have been offered but none have resulted in wins. Now one of sports greatest teams who entered this year optimistic about their chances of ending a 16 year Stanley Cup drought in this their 100^th year anniversary are now headed toward April tee-times. Montreal is sending out an S.O.S. but can anyone save their beloved Canadiens’ season?

NHL Stretch-Run a Wild Ride

It’s time again to sweep around the league to talk about a few of the stories developing as the playoffs inch closer and closer:

1. Number one Story of the night is the Marty Brodeur has surpassed Patrick Roy in wins to take the all-time lead at 552. There is not much more to be said about Brodeur at this point after the article dedicated to his tying of the record. If you missed it you can click here or on his name above.

2. The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the midst of an eleven game point streak which catapulted them from 10^th into a tie with Philadelphia in fourth position in the Eastern Conference. The acquisition of Kunitz and Guerin has been golden so far as both have contributed majorly on the scoreboard as they play the respective wings next to Crosby on the top line. Roughly 20 games ago many people suspected the Penguins were very likely to miss the playoffs or do little damage even if they managed to scrape by to get in. But now not only are the Bylsma led Penguins in decent playoff position by some of those same people feel they can not only make it to the playoffs but make yet another run at the Stanley Cup. Oh and don’t forget about that Malkin guy who scored his 100^th point Tuesday night, they tell me that’s kind of a big deal or something.

3. The Montreal Canadiens have been in a virtual free-fall for weeks now. Carey Price has been struggling mightily, Alexi Kovalev has been subpar all season long and Guy Carbonneau has been fired and replaced by GM Bob Gainey who does not have them in much better position. It was supposed to be a celebration in Montreal this year with it being the 100^th anniversary of the franchise with allegedly their best team in a long time. Now the Habs are in 7^th position and barely hanging on with Carolina, Florida, and Buffalo hot on their trail.

4. In the West the LA Kings all the way down in 13^th place still have a legitimate shot at qualifying for the playoffs. Only six points separate eighth from 13^th as the teams play “musical chairs” with playoff positioning almost nightly. Also, the Columbus Blue Jackets have surged as of late and really separated themselves from the lower pack in the West led by rookie sensation Steve Mason. Meanwhile the Chicago Blackhawks—who were once considered to be a shoe-in—have been struggling as of late and risk surrendering the 4^th spot and the first-round home-ice advantage that comes with it

All-in-all there have been a lot of surprises over the last two months and the league continues to entertain. Things you thought you knew just a short time ago have completely changed and that’s the beauty of the sport. As fun as the last two months have been they are sure to be topped in the next few weeks. So hang on to your seats hockey fans because as great as it has been thus far you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Top-Notch Theodore is Caps Only Prayer

Monday night the Washington Capitals were defeated 5-1 by the Atlanta Thrashers who, although are much improved from earlier in the season and won their sixth in a row, are way out of playoff contention. There is no doubt the Capitals have a lineup that can make a lot of noise in the playoffs with incredible talents Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Mike Green. They are fantastic in 5-on-5 play, absolutely dominating on the power play, and have ok penalty killing that is made to look much better because of how good the power play is. Donald Brashear gives them size and toughness which added to the rest of the equation would seem to put them in great position to make a run at the Stanley Cup… and then there’s goaltending. Jose Theodore’s numbers do not appear to be all that bad (GAA 2.81 and .902 save percentage) but he seems to give up goals in spurts and cannot manage to make the big saves consistently enough. He also has a tendency to give up some soft goals which the forces the offensive talent of the Caps to bail him out. Once their first playoff series starts the Capitals cannot afford to have Theodore go through stretches where he doesn’t make big saves, gives up soft goals, and yields goals in spurts. When those things happen it spells disaster for any team and an early exit from the playoffs no matter who they play. The bottom line is this; if Theodore can clean up his game just a bit the Capitals are a legitimate threat to not just come out of the east but to win the Stanley Cup. IF Theodore does not then the guys in front of him will be forced to carry too heavy a load and the Capitals immense talent will be wasted because of bad goaltending.

The critics have ridden Theodore all year long because of his streaky play. If Theodore can step up when it counts then all will be forgiven, but if not then the Capitals and all of their talent will be eliminated early and Theodore will more than likely be the one who gets the brunt of the punishment.

Brodeur Ties Record; Devils Eye Bruins

Saturday night, with Patrick Roy in attendance, Martin Brodeur tied the all-time wins mark for a goalie and is now even with the aforementioned Roy with 551 wins. Brodeur has already accomplished just about everything else a goaltender can accomplish and now the all-time wins record will soon be his as well as the shutout record. He’s won championships and broken records with nothing but class and dignity. All those who know him whether in the media or on the ice (perhaps except Sean Avery) have always had nothing but high praise for the way he handles himself in every aspect of life. And if all of that weren’t enough, his New Jersey Devils have a very good team assembled in front of him. The Devils will certainly make a lot of noise come playoff time, but meanwhile they are in prime position to overtake the once high-flying Boston Bruins for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. So not only can Brodeur claim two major records—after being out for most of the season only to return to the ice in top form—but he may be able to add another division title, regular season conference title, and most of all perhaps another Stanley Cup. Whether you’re a fan of the Devils or not, watching Brodeur operate is a real treat for hockey fans everywhere. And as he goes on to break the all-time wins record and soon thereafter the shutout record, appreciate that you’re watching a very special player, the type that doesn’t come around every day and one we may never see again.

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.

LIke what you see? Try these on for size:

NFL

http://sportsroids.com/2009/03/10/plaxicos-moment-of-truth-court-date-march-31st-is-upcoming-did-he-really-shoot-himself-in-the-foot/

NBA

http://sportsroids.com/2009/03/09/are-the-cleveland-cavaliers-ready-to-come-out-of-the-east/

MLB

http://sportsroids.com/2009/03/01/greener-pastures-for-jeter/

WWE

http://sportsroids.com/2009/03/10/it%E2%80%99s-official-world-heavyweight-championship-will-be-a-triple-threat/

MMA

http://sportsroids.com/2009/03/09/new-brutal-and-best-mma-knockouts-from-2008/

Hotties

http://sportsroids.com/2009/03/08/usc-trojan-jennifer-mueller-is-a-hottie/

Video Games

http://sportsroids.com/2009/01/07/nba-live-09-kobe-bryant-busts-a-chump-and-scores-96-points-highlight-video/

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.

Therrien/Renney Out, Bylsma/Tortorella In. But Will it Matter?

There was only one game Monday night but that didn’t mean the NHL would be lacking in drama after an action packed weekend both on and off the ice.

On the coaching end Pittsburgh’s new head man Dan Bylsma picked up his first two victories as an NHL coach in two 5-4 victories over Montreal and Philadelphia respectively. The Penguins lost to Washington on Sunday but five points out of a possible eight in Bylsma’s first four games is a good start for the new headcoach who is hoping to guide the Penguins back into a playoff spot after a disappointing start to the new year for Pittsburgh.

Staying in the Atlantic Division takes us to New York where the Rangers fired Tom Renney this weekend only to name John Tortorella as his replacement on Monday. Many close to the team believe Tortorella can provide a spark for the Rangers they could not seem to get from Renney. Tortorella has a history of calling out players publically which may inject the Rangers with just the right amount of energy to help save this sinking ship by not only keeping it afloat but guiding them to the playoffs. There is no denying that Renney is a great coach who will ultimately get another job and most likely be successful in that new position. However, Tortorella sweetens the pot by adding his Stanley Cup ring and that demands the utmost respect; something Renney simply couldn’t add to the mix.

In the future there will undoubtedly be many coaching changes across the sports landscape—especially in the NHL. In reality, mid-year coaching changes tend to do very little to change the course of a team especially when they are made toward the end of a season. The players normally don’t change—save for a few here and there—while a season is ongoing and so the chances of a different outcome no matter the coach is slim to none. And this year will probably be no different as both the Penguins and Rangers will probably continue on the paths they were on before coaching changes were made because personnel remains basically the same. If there’s one thing the sports world can learn from the Pittsburgh Steelers is that consistency in coaching and upper management yields sustained, long-term success.

Therrien Out. Schneider to Habs. Rangers Seek Avery?

Every now and then I do a sweep around the league commenting on various topics and I think now is the time for one of those sweeps.

Therrien out – Michel Therrien has paid the price for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season of gravely underachieving. Despite having the league’s top two scorers in Malkin and Crosby respectively, the Penguins are in 10 in the East and are coming off losses to out-of-contention Toronto and the lowly New York Islanders. Therrien is hardly to blame for Pittsburgh’s struggles but coaches are usually the ones to take the blow when a team is struggling because firing players is hardly an option. Baby Penguins (Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate) boss Dan Bylsma has been called up to lead the team for the remainder of the season. Therrien stated he believes the now Bylsma led team will make the playoffs but now having lost two in a row to teams they should have beaten it certainly seems unlikely. The good news for Pittsburgh is that a lot of teams in front of them have been struggling to win games as of late keeping the Penguins in contention.

Rangers sliding – The New York Rangers have hit a bit of a rut lately losing eight of their last nine, including a five game losing streak and a 4 game slide that was extended Monday night with a loss to home-standing St. Louis. Tom Renney’s job is in jeopardy and the Rangers are considering making a move for Sean Avery of all people to help turn them around. When a team looks to Sean Avery to “right the ship” that team is probably in a hole they will never dig out of.

Mathieu Schneider to Canadiens – The Canadiens—another team in a free-fall—have acquired defensemen Mathieu Schneider from the Atlanta Thrashers for two draft picks. Schneider, now in his 20^th season, returns to the Canadiens after being a part of their last Stanley Cup team in 1993. Perhaps Schneider’s presence will serve as a morale boost but not much more than that. The defense may be sured-up slightly with him in the lineup, but in the end the Canadiens’ problems stem from Carey Price’s collapse, not being able to score on the power play, losing Robert Lang, and Kovalev having an extremely average season. If those pieces don’t shape up then it won’t matter what Schneider does because he cannot carry this franchise to the promised land alone.

All Star Game Flops; Second Half Mercifully Begins

The NHL All-Star break is now over and mercifully so is the NHL All-Star game. It was the highest scoring all-star game and 22 goals scored plus the addition goal awarded for the shootout win for the East really could not have been any less entertaining. Even the skills competition was boring with the modification of the event to try to make it more exciting did the exact opposite. With that said, Tuesday night the de facto second half began and there were some pretty good games on tap. The best of Tuesday’s games was in Boston as the Bruins battled the Caps.

Washington and Boston are two of the best teams in the lead not only in team points but in talent level and that makes all of their match-ups particularly intriguing. Washington made Boston come from behind twice in the game before the game was won 3-2 in overtime by Boston on a blocked pass attempt that by chance went into the net behind Theodore. It was unfortunate because both netminders played an incredible third period making incredible shots to keep their respective teams in the game as the aforementioned talent that these two teams are loaded with. Both Theodore and Thomas showed Tuesday night that despite all that talent it is the goalies who need to be the best player on the ice more often than not if any hockey team wants to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Some other notes worth mentioning before signing off:

Claude Lemieux made his return to Colorado with the San Jose Sharks. The 43 year old signed an AHL deal with San Jose before being called up to play with the NHL club last Tuesday.

The Buffalo Sabres scored 2 goals in the first 1:45 of the first period against Edmonton on route to crushing the Oilers 10-2.

The Detroit Red Wings started the second half of the season with a 3-2 OT loss to Columbus.

NHL Standings Basement Battle

In the battle for futility on Long Island Tuesday night the Atlanta Thrashers defeated the New York Islanders 4-2. The game was actually pretty close essentially a one-goal game with a garbage empty-netter to close it out. And while this game perhaps shows that Atlanta is just a little better than the Islanders, the Isles do in fact have a brighter future and it’s not just because they will have a better chance at winning the draft lottery.

The Islanders’ future on the island is very much up in the air at the moment as they wait out the passing of the “lighthouse project” that will determine its long-term outlook. But for the moment let’s table that just for the sake of conversation and focus on other aspects of the two teams. What the Islanders have as an advantage over Atlanta is a rich history with great tradition. The Islanders won 4 straight Stanley Cup titles in the 1980s making them one of the premier hockey teams of the time and historically one of the greatest runs for a team in NHL history. While they have never quite reached that level since they have been competitive at times and their fan base is still pretty much intact. All the Islanders need to do is win again and their building will begin to fill up, fans will start having faith in their team again and there will be a buzz again on the island for their beloved hockey team.

Atlanta has an awful hockey history to accompany their mediocre present. The Atlanta Flames were not a viable team and ended up moving to Calgary after losing their fair share of games and money. Now they have a new team who has been mediocre at best in a city that couldn’t care less about hockey and barely supports their NFL team when it’s good. As the economy worsens the fate of the Thrashers in Atlanta is up in the air no matter how many games they win. So despite the score Tuesday night it is Islander fans who have reason to celebrate.

Sundin Back, Sharks Lose, Caps Roll and More

Lots of news, little time, let’s go around the league in a flash.

- Mats Sundin has finally decided on a team, he’s going to Vancouver. Great, now can we please stop talking about him?

- Detroit put a hurting on San Jose Thursday night 6-0. Be not afraid, the game means little because San Jose is still better than Detroit in the long run. I picked San Jose to win the Stanley Cup and I am not backing down now.

- My other finals pick (Montreal) ended Philly’s five game winning streak on Thursday in convincing fashion. Despite a few hick-ups the Canadiens’ season is going well so far. If Kovalev ever gets his scoring woes in order they will be in very good shape.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins scored 6 goals to defeat Atlanta by three on Thursday after a long lay-off. Any win for the Penguins right now is a good win but their defensive troubles continue to be a thorn in their side.
- Yes Boston has 22 wins and 48 points good enough for first in the east; however come playoff time it will be hard for their overachieving players to keep playing at this high of a level. Kudos to their play so far though.

- The Washington Capitals are on fire, winning their fifth in a row Thursday night and looking tremendous in every facet of the game: special teams, offense, defense, and goaltending. Washington is rolling… remember them come playoff time.

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.

Ottawa Finally Getting it Together

It is hardly time to crown them Eastern Conference Champions but the Ottawa Senators are finally starting to put things together a bit. After a very rough start to the season including a four game losing streak in November they have all-of-a-sudden won four of the last six and have at least a point in seven of the last eight games. While seems like a very long time ago not much time has passed since the core group of this Senators team breezed through the east playoffs and were playing for the Stanley Cup. There have been a number of issues since then (can you say Ray Emry?) including a collapse after a great start last year capped by an early playoff exit at the hands of Pittsburgh. Despite all that goaltender Alex Auld has played very well giving up 2.06 goals per game accompanied by a solid .924 save percentage, he simply has not enjoyed the goal support needed to be successful. The top line of Heatley, Alfredsson, and Spezza have been playing pretty well posting 75 points between the three of them but they cannot do it alone. If the rest of the team can step up their game just a little bit, the Ottawa Senators could be a scary team come January and beyond. Right now Ottawa sits last in their division and twelfth in the conference with 25 points. However, they are only four points out of a playoff spot and have two games in hand on Buffalo who currently holds that final spot. Should Ottawa put things together with all their talent they can give teams a lot of trouble going down the stretch and into the playoffs; don’t sleep on the Senators.

Sharks Shredding Competition

Coming into Saturday night the San Jose Sharks had won nine in a row and although the Edmonton Oilers broke that streak the Sharks are still on a tear to start the season. They have a league best 46 points, are tops in goals scored with 100, have allowed 61 goals which puts them tied for fourth in the league and are in the top 10 in both special teams departments (PP=5^th; PK=6^th). Not only do the Sharks currently have a 10 game point streak but they have yet to lose in regulation at home; that’s at least one point in 16 home games to start the season—30 out of a possible 32—and have more wins (22) than anyone else in the league. The Sharks are solid on specials teams and at even strength which is supported greatly by outstanding goaltending from both Evgeni Nabokov and Brian Boucher whose combined goals against average is an incredible 2.19 and an equally impressive combined saved percentage of .915. Well coached and well prepared for every game are the Sharks who can win high-scoring goal-frenzied games as well as close grinder contests. There is question whether they can remain so consistently good throughout the season and into the playoffs and although they will probably drop off a bit they will certainly be a top Stanley Cup contender nevertheless. If nothing else, win or lose, they are an immensely exciting team to watch and are a treat for hockey fans to watch the world over.

Hurricanes and Laviolette Part Ways

ESPN.com is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes have fired Head Coach Peter Laviolette just three seasons after leading the Hurricanes to the franchise’s only Stanley Cup title. Although Laviolette led the team to the highest level possible they have missed the playoffs each of the last two years. Carolina currently stands second place in the weak Southeast division only three points behind Washington but have given up 10 more goals than they have scored thus far this season. The team’s power play has struggled mightily scoring only 12.9% of the time and have won only four of their last 10 games and once in their last five. In a strange turn of events Laviolette has apparently been replaced by Paul Maurice who Laviolette actually replaced when he was named head coach five years ago. As it stands now Carolina would be in the playoffs sitting in the 8^th spot just one point ahead of Buffalo but the team clearly needs to turn a the corner. What this will mean for Carolina long-term is yet to be seen but Maurice will be tested right away as the Hurricanes welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday night. Carolina has plenty of talent in Ray Whitney, Rod Brind’Amour (although he’s aging), Eric Staal, and a reliable goaltender in Cam Ward; but now that talent needs to produce wins.

Lightning Scapegoat Melrose

On Friday (11/14) the Tampa Bay Lightning fired head coach Barry Melrose after only 16 games with the team. Granted, the Lightning posted a less than stellar 5-7-4 record leaving them with 14 points and in 4^th place in the Southeast Division. Although the record is not great it is still very early in the season and the newly hired Melrose was not given much of a chance to make any great strides with the team. Tampa Bay is not out of the playoff hunt by any stretch of the imagination after only 16 games and I am not sure that any problems the team may have had are solved by firing the coach. I wrote before about NHL GMs having too quick a trigger and the trend continues. Not every team can win every game and be in first place all at the same time. It is a long season that consists of many good times and bad but the key is to be persistent and to have patience. Tampa Bay spent a lot of money in the off-season putting essentially an entirely new roster together that needs some time to gel as guys get used to playing with one another. No offense to Rick Tocchet but I do not think there is anything he can do that will put the Lightning in a position that is any better than where they already were. Anything short of Tampa Bay winning every game the remainder of the year makes this a boneheaded, not to mention unfair, move on the part of the Lightning management. And this is why Tampa Bay has had little playoff success since winning the Stanley Cup in 2004.

Penguins Making up for lack of Defense with two Straight Eleventh Hour Victories

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a fun team to watch through their past two games. In the two contests, the Penguins have put up seven and five goals respectively and both games have been hotly contested and right down to the wire against two rivals.

 

On Tuesday night, November 11^th it was Pittsburgh skating at the home of the team that knocked them out in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals… the Detroit Red Wings in which they overcame a 6-4 deficit with just under five minutes left in the third period. After forcing overtime with the help of center Jordan Staal’s hat trick, it was an assist by Staal to Ruslan Fedotenko that set up the game-winning goal in OT.

 

Then, on Thursday night on the 13^th the Pens overcame yet another late deficit when they were down 4-3 in the waning minutes of the third period at home to divisional opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers. This game would not be settled in overtime however, as the two teams battled it out in a five shot per team shootout, with the lone goal being scored by a defenseman in Alex Goligoski on Pittsburgh’s final attempt.

 

Now with these two momentum charged high-scoring wins, the Penguins have some self-belief that they can weather the storm before their arguably two top defenseman return to the lineup; Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney.

 

However, no team can expect to keep winning games like this so they’ll have to definitely step up their game plan on the defensive side and start taking charge in the earlier parts of games by getting their goals sooner. But with that being said, these are still two solid wins for a still young team to build off of that has suffered many losses through free agency and injury in this past off season.

Some teams have started out hot in the 2009 NHL season. Can they continue?

by Tony E

A note to all NHL fans, PLEASE CLAM DOWN! Overall the bad teams are not as bad as they seem and teams that started off too fast are not as good as they seem. Let things settle down, allow teams to mesh and by the end of December we will know more. In the meantime I give you my early season picks that you can take to the bank! In the west a lot of teams will be challenging the Red Wings; namely Minnesota, San Jose, and Anaheim. But the San Jose Sharks match up best and will represent the west in the Stanley Cup Finals. They are big, experienced, and talented, but more-so than that they are disciplined. They run their puck-possession system to perfection and they DO NOT TAKE STUPID PENALTIES. The Sharks will never beat themselves and come playoff time neither will anyone else.

Joining San Jose will be the Montreal Canadiens who are off to a flying start. Last year they could score but the team was overpowered by a much bigger Flyers team in the playoffs. However, combining the offensive prowess of the Kostitsyn’s and Kovalev with the likes of 6’5” Ryan O’Bryne and Georges Laraque; throw in a more experienced Carey Price and voila, an Eastern Conference championship for the most storied NHL franchise as they celebrate their 100th season. But the greatest celebration will take place in the bay area as the San Jose Sharks will win their first ever Stanley Cup title.