Pucking Awesome

NEW HOME

2009-10-03T15:03:00.001-07:00

WE HAVE MOVED TO WWW.PUCKINGAWESOME.COM

ATLANTIC DIVISION PREVIEW

2009-09-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

The toughest division just got tougher. Not only does the Atlantic Division host the defending Stanley Cup champs but offseason moves saw future hall-of-famer Chris Pronger and superstar scoring Marian Gaborik join this already tough division. Oh yeah, and the best goaltender of all-time still roams the net in New Jersey. Two straight years have seen the Atlantic send 4 teams to the playoff and we will see that again this season.

1.) Pittsburgh Penguins
Rear View Mirror: The Pittsburgh Penguins used their resilience all the way to a Stanley Cup championship. To be five points out of a playoff spot with 25 games to play, to come back from 2-0 vs. both the Capitals and the Red Wings in the playoff series, and to win a tough Game 6 and Game 7 to capture the franchise first cup since 1992, is the epitome of resilience. The Penguins offensively were led by their two superstars, Sidney Crosby (77 GP, 33G-70A-103P) and Art Ross/Conn Smyth winner Evgeni Malkin (82 GP, 35G-78A-113P). They also picked up a much needed offensive boast with trade deadline acquisitions Bill Guerin (12 pts in 17 games) and Chris Kunitz (18 pts in 20 games). The champions were also led by rookie head coach Dan Bylsma, who replaced Michel Therrien, and with his aggressive style led the team to an 18-3-4 record down the stretch.
Offseason Ins: D Jay Mckee (STL: 69 GP, 185 BkS), G Brent Johnson (WSH: 12-6-2, 2.81 GAA, .908 save %), LW Mike Rupp (NJ: 72 GP, 136 PIM), RW Chris Conner (DAL: 38 GP, 3G-10A-13P)
Offseason Outs: D Rob Scuderi (164 BkS), D Hal Gill (78 Hits), RW Petr Sykora (25 G), RW Miroslav Satan 36 Pts), D Philippe Boucher (+10), C Mike Zigomanis (63.0 FO%), G Mathieu Garon (2 W)
What Makes Them Tick: When a team has two of the top three scorers in their lineup it’s hard not to point out the obvious: they are a team that is hard to match up against. Both Crosby and Malkin followed up their successful regular seasons with even better postseasons showing that these young stars were ready to take the next step in their development. Also having a bounce back year was third line center Jordan Staal, who followed his sophomore slump (12 goals, -5) with a productive year (22 goals, -5) as the shutdown center. While his numbers weren’t even good for the top twenty in goaltending stats, former first overall pick Marc-Andre Fleury just continues to win when it matters the most, with a 31-18 career playoff record. Defensively, the Penguins will get a boost now that Sergei Gonchar will be available to play from week 1. It is no coincidence that the Penguins were a better team and made their surge when Gonchar returned from shoulder surgery. A top line pairing for Gonchar and hit man Brooks Orpik, who was 2nd in the league with 309 hits, is top notch.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: With 204 games in the past two seasons and their top players not only being asked to shoulder the load of the team, but also their entire countries in an Olympic year, could have an effect on this team. We see it every year the team that makes the Stanley Cup struggles to find a groove early. Just ask the Penguins from last year and they will admit they needed time to find their swagger. Though this team has some youth on their side, it is bound to catch up to them at some point, especially with team leaders Crosby, Malkin and Gonchar having to play big parts in their respective country’s bid for a gold medal. Very rarely does a coach, with no prior head coaching experience, step in with 25 games to play and go onto win a Stanley Cup. In fact, it has only happened one other time when Al MacNeil in 1971 took over the Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup as a rookie midseason replacement. So how the 39-year-old Bylsma will fair in a full season worth of game planning, balancing his ice time, and dealing with the stress of being a coach will be a key to this team success or downfall.
Player to Watch: With the injury to Sergei Gonchar last season, Kristopher Letang was forced into playing top line minutes in only his second season in the league, and Letang flourished. The 22-year-old defenseman scored 10 goals and assisted on 23 others. His development allowed the Penguins to trade highly touted defenseman Ryan Whitney for much needed scoring. The sky is the limit for this mobile puck moving defenseman, who also went on to contribute 13 points in the playoffs. Letang will be a restricted free agent next season and is off to prove he can be a top line defenseman in this league.
Prediction: Back-to-back championships are hard to come by, and there is a reason why it has not happened in the NHL since the Red Wings of 1997-1998 and in sports in general since the Patriots did it back in 2003-2004. It is hard because every team now puts their best game against you, and even makes off-season moves just to match up better to the formula used to win that championship. The Penguins are the favorites to win this tough division because, let’s face it, when you are the Champs you are that on paper until the puck drops. I would not be surprised to see them start out slow like last year, and GM Fred Shero has twice shown us that he can get creative at the trade deadline (Marian Hossa and Kunitz/Guerin) to give them the necessary push for the playoffs.

2.) Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers once again bowed out to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, an interstate rivalry that is one of the best in the league. They Flyers also once again battled inconsistency and injuries all season. The orange and black were led by two young centers that seem ready to be added among the elite centers of the league. Jeff Carter finished 2nd in the league in goals (46) and first in the team in points (84) right behind him was captain Mike Richards whose two-way hard-nosed style reminded Flyers fans of the great Bobby Clarke. Among his 30 goals, seven of them were scored shorthanded including two 5-on-3. Speaking of shorthanded situations, they scored 16 total shorthanded goals, and it wasn’t until the last game of the season that the Flyers did not give up a shorthanded goal. Rounding out a balanced scoring attack, the Flyers were the only team with six 25-goal scorers, was Simon Gagne who had a relatively healthy season playing in 79 games and scoring 34 goals, and rugged winger Scott Hartnell who had career high in goals (30) and points (60). Injuries to the defensive core saw many players come in and out to round out the top 6, but the core was veteran Kimmo Timonen (43 pts) and youthful Bryadon Coburn (28 pts).
Offseason Ins: D Chris Pronger (ANH: 82 GP, 11G-37A-48P), G Ray Emery (KHL: 36 GP, 2.12 GAA), C Ian Laperriere (COL: 74 GP, 7G-12A-19, 163 PIM), Brian Boucher (SJ: 12-6-3, 2.18 GAA, .917 save%)
Offseason Outs: G Martin Biron (29 W), RW Mike Knuble (11 PPG), RW Joffrey Lupul (25 G), G Antero Niittymaki (.912 save%) , D Andrew Alberts (157 Hits), D Luca Sbisa (7 A)
What Makes Them Tick: On Draft day this year the Flyers went out and acquired Chris Pronger, the man many thought was born to wear the Orange and Black. That acquisition sent a message to the team that, even though knocked out by the one two punch of Crosby and Malkin the last two postseasons, they are ready for them this time. With the future hall-of-famer Pronger in the mix, the Flyers top 4 defensemen rank as one of the top in the Eastern Conference. Combine that with a talented and balanced scoring attack is why the Flyers are the sexy pick to represent the East in the Stanley Cup. As I mentioned earlier, special teams once again will be an asset to this team that not only scores shorthanded but ranked 6th in the league in both penalty kill (83%) and power play (22.5%).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: When we last saw Ray Emery playing in the NHL he was beating up teammates, banished to the AHL and then ultimately bought out of his new three year contract from the Ottawa Senators. Now Razor will be looked at as the biggest question mark surrounding a team with so much talent. People often forget that this is a goalie that has appeared in more Stanley Cup appearances (one with Ottawa in 2007) than the two castoffs (Biron and Niittymaki) combined, and the coach that was fired (John Paddock) because of his antics was on board for this move. The 26-year-old goalie with the images of boxers on his helmet will be the ultimate high risk high reward for this team, and most likely the key to which direction this season will head for the Flyers.
Player To Watch: Daniel Briere signed a huge eight-year contract and now, heading into his third year, it could be his biggest in the NHL. Last year the 31-year-old center played a career low 29 games because of injuries to his abdomen and groin. Although the sample size was small, Briere still had an impact on the power play with 10 of his 25 points coming on special teams. This former All-Star and five-time 25 or more goal scorer, has done everything he can to prove in the offseason that he is healthy and ready to contribute to this team. With the accelerated development of both Carter and Richards, Briere won’t be asked to be the go-to guy that he was thought of when brought here, but will still be asked to play major minutes on the top power play unit and fill in for the goals lost this offseason (Knuble 27G and Lupul 25G). The Quebec native had some end-of-the-season chemistry with talented center Claude Giroux. Coach John Stevens sees his lines as pairs and has already said that these two speedy players will be a pair. Daniel Briere needs to have a healthy productive season, if not it will be tough for the Flyers to fit a new piece in his place or even to try to unload his hefty salary cap hit.
Prediction: Ray Emery is spectacular, Chris Pronger lives up to the hype, and the team remains relatively healthy. If two of these three things happen, the Flyers will be a lock for a playoff spot and a team to beat in the playoffs. If two out of three do not happen, it could be a long season for the Orange and Black. Emery is the biggest question mark, but since he is only signed for one season, and a couple of proven goalies (Nabakov, Turco, Giguere) being on the market, don’t count the Flyers out to make a deadline push for a goalie. Chris Pronger should live up to the hype. He has shown no signs of slowing down and has led two teams to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season on the squad. Health will be the biggest question mark for Gagne, considering he has already reported groin issues. Richard’s style of play leads to the chance of injury also, and Carter’s deadly wrist shot was not there in the playoffs due to an injury. The Flyers will contend for the division crown and will be a good pick to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals.

3.) New Jersey Devils
Rear View Mirror: The Devils played 51 games without all-world goalie Martin Brodeur, and still survived the storm to improbably win the Atlantic Division. The season for the Devils, though, ended in devastating fashion in an Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 7 loss to the Hurricanes. In a season that saw Martin Brodeur break the all-time NHL leader in regular season wins by a goaltender, it was really the spectacular play from backup goalie Scott Clemmensen, who went 25-13-1 in the 40 games he played with a 2.39 GAA and .917 save percentage. Offensively, Zach Parise flourished in the up tempo Brent Sutter style, the former first round pick ranked 5th in the league in scoring (94 pts) and was a legitimate Hart trophy candidate with his 45 goals and was still responsible in his own end (+30). Parise created some great chemistry with his top line mates Travis Zajac (82 GP, 20G-42A-62P) and Jaime Langenbruner (81 GP, 29G-40A-69P). The Devils always seem to find players that come out of nowhere to fit their defensive style of play and Johnny Oduya (82 GP, 7G-22A-29P, +21) and Paul Martin (73 GP, 5G-28A-33P, +21) seem to be the next crop of good defensive players to don the Red and Black.
Offseason Ins: G Yan Denis (NYI: 10-17-3, 2.86 GAA, .910 save%), D Cory Murphy (FLA/TB: 32 GP, 5G-11A-16P), C Rod Pelley (AHL: 75 GP, 15G-23A-38P), RW Nicklas Bergfors (AHL: 66 GP, 22G-29A-51P)
Offseason Outs: RW Brian Gionta (20 G), C John Madden (23 Pts), C Bobby Holik (62 GP), G Scott Clemmensen (25 Wins), RW Mike Rupp (136 PIM)
What Makes Them Tick: Martin Brodeur has been the face of the franchise for 16 NHL season, last year was the first, since a lockout shorten 1994-1995 season, he did not play at least 65 games (he had played 70 in 11 out of the last 12 seasons). One could ask if he is wearing down at the age of 37 considering how he allowed four or more goals in three of the last four games of the first round loss to Carolina. However, he still went on to record five shutouts in his 31 games played. Zach Parise is the new franchise player up front and will again be relied on for big time minutes along with his line mates Zajac and Lagenbruner. Lagenbruner, the 34-year-old captain of the team, had career highs in every offensive category including an amazing +25 and has to build or even match that kind of production for this team to be successful. Returning to the bench for the Devils is 1995; Stanley Cup Champion Jacques Lemaire’s defensive first attitude will help the Devils maintain their identity in a team that did finish 4th overall in team defense (2.52 GAA).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: I would normally say an injury to Martin Brodeur in this section but the organization showed me up, and brought in a capable backup again in former Islander Yann Danis. What could detract this talented offensive team is a clash between the old styles with the new. No one can argue that Brent Sutter’s up tempo more wide open style of play allowed Parise, Zajac, Langenbruner and even Patrik Elias have career statistical years. We all know these players have the talent but many times were asked to play defense first. This will be the case on a Lemaire coached team. It will also be tough to supplant the loss of both long time Devils Brian Gionta and John Madden. Gionta was not scoring at the same pace he was earlier in his career, but still notched 20 goals last season and same with Madden, who although some say lost a step (a career worst -7 last season), was still was a big part of the penalty kill and third line shutdown unit.
Player to Watch: It was a tough time deciding between free agent disappointment Brian Rolston and former captain Patrik Elias in this category because both guys have a lot to prove in different ways this year. I had to go with the Devils all-time leading scorer, who will be out 3-6 weeks to start the season. The 33-year-old Elias had his best goal scoring season since the 2004-05 lockout, notching 31 goals. He most dangerous on the power play with a career-best 12 goals and tying a career mark with 31 power play points. This season the team leader will be asked to play primarily at center on a team that is thin down the middle. Coming off hip/groin surgery it will be important to this team to have Elias healthy and contributing.
Prediction: The Devils want their young talent to step up, and not have to depend on the likes of Rolston, Shanahan and Pandolfo to score many goals. In comes a new crop of fast and capable players hoping to make the team this year (Rod Pelley, Nicklas Bergfors, and Ilkka Pikkarainen) and if they fulfill their potential, the Devils will be a tough team to defend. Martin Brodeur needs to prove that last season was a fluke and not a look at what to expect from the aging future Hall-of-Fame goalie. I believe Brodeur bounces back and Parise, once again, is a Hart trophy contender. The one thing holding them back from winning this tough division is depending on Rolston and Elias who both are big question marks heading into this season.

4.) New York RangersRear View Mirror: The Rangers finished strong under the new direction of fiery head coach John Tortorella but were unable to hold a 3-1 lead against the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals when they lost in unromantic fashion in Game 7. The backbone once again was Henrik Lundqvust, who for the third straight season played at least 70 games, and for the fourth straight won at least 30. The teams also seem to get their spark when they brought back prodigal son Sean Avery from the waiver heap. Dallas’s sloppy seconds was the Rangers gain as Avery collected 12 points in the 18 games with the Rangers.
Offseason Ins: RW Marian Gaborik (MIN: 17 GP, 13G-10A-23P), LW Chris Higgins (MTL: 57 GP, 12G-11A-23P), LW Ales Kotalik (BUF/EDM: 75 GP, 20G-23A-43P), LW Donald Brashear (WSH: 63 GP, 121 PIM), C Brian Boyle (LAK: 28 GP, 4G), RW Enver Lisin (PHX: 48 GP, 13G-8A-21P), D Matt Gilroy (HE: 45 GP, 8G-29A-37P), D Ryan McDonagh(WCHA: 36 GP, 5G-11A-16P), C Vaclav Prospal (TB: 82 GP, 19G-26A-45P), C Tyler Arnason (COL: 71 GP, 5G-17A-22P)
Offseason Outs: C Scott Gomez (58 Pts), D Paul Mara (76 GP), D Derek Morris (4 PPP), C Blair Betts (49.3 FO%), LW Markus Naslund (24 G), RW Nik Antropov (13 pts in 18 GP), LW Fredrik Sjostrom (3 SHP), RW Colton Orr (193 PIM), LW Lauri Korpikoski (14 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: King Henrik has earned the nickname for his stellar play for the Rangers and pretty much being the only reason this team contends for a playoff spot instead of a lottery spot. The Olympic Gold medal winner will have a difficult task this season balancing the amount of games he plays for the blue shirts and the important piece he plays in his country’s defense of their Olympic Gold. The development of young players like RW Ryan Callahan (22 goals last season), C Brandon Dubinsky (Although holding out for a new contract), D Marc Staal (15 Pts), and D Dan Girardi (22 pts) are encouraging for a team that usually relies on free agent acquisitions. These are all players you can build a team around and have shown that, when asked, can step into a prominent role.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Another offseason full of changes for a team trying to find their identity post Jagr. Out goes free agent disappointment Scott Gomez and in comes widely talented but often injured Marian Gaborik. Since the lockout, the 27-year-old two-time All-Star has averaged .59 goals per game which ranks second only to Alexander Ovechkin. The problem is that, in his 8 year career, he has averaged only 62.3 games played a season. So last year’s 17 games played brought his average down. It also will be interesting to see with so many new faces and a fairly new head coach with the knack of getting under his players skin mesh. Defensively they are still very thin, relying on defensive liabilities like Wade Redden (-5 last season) and Michal Rozsival (-7 last season), and the unproven abilities of Hobey Baker-winner Matt Gilroy, Bobby Sanguinetti and/or Ryan McDonagh.
Player to Watch: Mark Messier is back as special assistant to Glenn Sather. I would watch him to make a real impact on this club. Haha, not really but I had to throw that in there. Chris Higgins was not just a player brought in to save the team millions in cap hit, so they can go out and acquiring another front line scorer. Oh wait, yes he was, but he still is going to be key to this team’s offensive woes. The Rangers ranked 28th in offense last season (2.44 GPG) and addressed that need with the offensive acquisitions this offseason with Higgins leading the pack. The New York native has proven he can score in this league by the fact that he had three straight seasons of 20+ goals until last year’s injury plagued 12 goal campaigns. The former first round pick of the Canadians and All-American at Yale will be asked to show he is worth all those accolades for the Rangers only signed him to a one-year deal.
Prediction: This division will get four teams in the playoffs again with the Rangers being the fourth. Lundqvist is one of the top goaltenders in this league, but if the Rangers are smart they will give him more rest knowing the Olympics are looming for the Swede. Gaborik will be a treat for the east coast fans to watch and who did not get to see him play out West. Rangers’ fans remember him as he scored 5 goals against them in a game back in December of 2007. The health worries me like everyone else, but the team can’t score any less goals than they did last season. Overall, they will float around the 8-10 spot all season and then when the team starts to gel more towards the end they will secure that 8th and final playoff spot.

5.) New York Islander
Rear View Mirror: So the only thing that went well for the New York Islanders last season is they won the NHL lottery, with an NHL-worst 61 points, and earned the right to select franchise player John Tavares. In a season that saw their starting goalie, Rick DiPietro play only five games with a knee injury, the Islanders shifted perennial minor leaguers Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis into the net. The team’s struggle to score goals (2.42 GAA) showed in the fact they were led in scoring by defenseman Mark Streit. The free agent signee was one of the lone bright spots of the team. The All-star’s 16 goals and 40 assists showed the league that he is not just a power play specialist but also, managing to be a +6 with 25 minutes of ice time a game, is a tribute to his steady two way play.
Offseason Ins: C John Tavares (OHL: 56 GP, 58 G-46A-104P) G Dwayne Roloson (EDM: 28-24-9, 2.77 GAA, .915 Save %), G Martin Biron (PHI: 29-19-5, 2.76 GAA, .915 Save %)
Offseason Outs: G Joey MacDonald (14 W), G Yann Danis (10 W), C Mike Sillinger (Class player), LW Andy Hilbert (11 G), LW Dean McAmmond (16 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: Confetti fell to the floor of the Nassau Coliseum when the Islanders drafted John Tavares, thus shifting the franchise from often injured Rick DiPietro to the fresh faced 19-year-old scoring sensation. The résumé of the 6-0 center is long and full of awards, records, and prestige and he will be expected to be the savior both on and off the ice for this franchise that finished dead last in attendance. 38-year-old Doug Weight returns for the much needed veteran presence and did contribute 21 of his 38 points on the power play last year. Adding a duo of goaltenders (Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron) acquired this off-season will also stabilize the team’s back line.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: When the owner comes out and says he regrets buying the team and then threatens to move the team in your offseason because of problems updating an old and outdated stadium, you cannot consider this a booming franchise. Though it was nice to see 10,000 fans come out to watch the selection of Tavares, it is not a good sign the Wang is playing preseason games in Kansas City as the Lighthouse Project continues to battle on. I mention all the off-ice issues with this team because it affects the on ice talent. With the uncertainty and financial woes of this team, they are forced to play young and inexpensive players. Tavares should help the offense but, now with the injury to Kyle Okposo, there is not much depth behind him.
Player to Watch: I think I have talked enough about Tavres in this preview, so let’s turn our focus towards another first round pick that is going to play a prominent role on this team, Kyle Okposo. Okposo was selected 7th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and left school early to make an immediate scoring impact for the Islanders. The 21-year-old center/winger led the team with 18 goals last season and will be looked upon to improve on that number. His season did not start on a good note as he was carted off the ice on a stretcher after receiving a devastating open ice hit from Dion Phaneuf. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and the Islanders organization hope there is no lingering effects on a player that they are counting on so heavily this season.
Prediction: Tavares will be “as advertised” for this team and, as long as Okposo’s injury does not linger, they will have to be better offensively. Both goalies feel they have something to prove to the league that has told them they are not good enough to start for a contending team. I could see the Islanders turning one or both goaltenders into draft picks at the trade deadline, but beyond hoarding more picks, and Tavares finally playing in the NHL, there is not much more to be excited about on Long Island.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION PREIVEW

2009-09-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

A.J. Bloomquist – contributor to “Pucking Awesome”

Welcome to the Southeast, home of more Chick-Fil-A’s per square mile than hockey fans. All joking aside, while hockey may still be catching in warm weather markets, this division does have some of the best kept secrets in the NHL. Two of the previous five Stanley Cup champions reside here (Tampa Bay in 2004, Carolina in 2006). Though the most recognizable player is Alex Ovechkin, other great hockey players also make their careers south of the Mason-Dixon line. Just a taste - Ilya Kovalchuk, Mike Green, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Staal, and Cam Ward. Perhaps the best kept secret of this division is while it usually comes down to Washington or Carolina to finish first, any team has a realistic shot to take the crown this year. The Southeast is just as competitive as any other division in the NHL. Here is my take on how the division will shake out this season.

1.) Carolina Hurricanes

Rearview Mirror: Three years removed from their 2006 Stanley Cup Championship, the Hurricanes returned to familiar territory by playing in the Eastern Conference finals. Flash backwards to December 3, 2008. Carolina was destined to be missing the postseason for the 3rd straight season with a 12-11-2 record under Peter Laviolette. GM Jim Rutherford decides to shake things up by returning former bench boss Paul Maurice to Raleigh. Re-acquiring Erik Cole (80GP, 18G-24A-42PTS, 73PIM) from Edmonton at the trade deadline seemed to boost Carolina’s offensive numbers. With all those changes, the team went on a 33-19-5 run to lock up the 6th seed. After knocking off the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in dramatic 7 game series, they lost in four straight to eventual champion Pittsburgh. Nonetheless, Carolina re-asserted their place as being one of the elite teams in the East.
Off-Season Ins: F Tom Kostopolous (MTL: 78GP, 8G-14A-22PTS, 106PIM), D Andrew Alberts (PHI: 79GP, 13PTS, 157 hits), D Aaron Ward (BOS: 65GP-3G-7A-10PTS, +16)
Off-Season Outs: F Patrick Eaves (to DET), F Frantisek Kaberle (contract buyout)
What Makes Them Tick: The Hurricanes have no “bona-fide” superstar, but they do have a cohesive unit of 23 players led by Captain Rod Brind’Amour (80GP, 16G-35A-51PTS, -23). Eric Staal (82GP, 40G-35A-75PTS, 14PPG) still put up solid offensive numbers, but 37 year old Ray Whitney (82GP, 24G-53A-77PTS, 62 takeaways) has continued to see some of the highest scouring outputs of his 19 year career. Also up front, Tuomo Ruutu (79GP, 26G-28A-54PTS, 228 hits) established himself as a legitimate two-way presence on the ice. Tim Gleason (70GP, 171 hits, 133 blocks) and Denis Seidenberg (70GP, 146 hits, 160 blocks) shore up Carolina’s no-name defense corps. Between the pipes, Cam Ward (68GP, 39-23-5, 2.44GAA, .916 SV %, 6SO) had the best season of his career in re-asserting himself as one of the premiere goalies in the game today. The addition of Kostopolous, Alberts, and Aaron Ward this past offseason gives the team not much in the scoring department, but gives the Hurricanes more physicality to their game.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: The only major way this team goes boom would have to be if they stop listening to Paul Maurice very early on into the season. Just because he has a new contract in his second go around with the franchise, it doesn’t necessarily mean job security. He did provide the Hurricanes with that much needed boost when things were looking grim back in December. Let’s flash backwards a bit. After Maurice led the Hurricanes to the Cup finals in 2002, he was given a new contract extension but was relieved 20 games into the 2003 season. The reason – the team stopped listening to him. Peter Laviolette was his replacement at the time. After he led the Hurricanes to the Cup itself in 2006, he was rewarded with a contract extension. The result – two (almost three) straight postseason-less appearances before getting the boot for Maurice for his second tour of duty.
Player to Watch: After posting career highs in games played (81), goals (19), and points (31), center Chad LaRose is quickly becoming an unsung hero for the Hurricanes. Signed in 2003 as an undrafted free agent from the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers, the 5’9” LaRose has proven many scouts wrong that he didn’t belong in the NHL. However, he had great numbers back in junior hockey (201PTS in 152 career games) to support his cause. Now, with ever increasing offensive numbers and a new two-year contract to keep him in the Research Triangle, LaRose is destined to take the next step in becoming a prominent small, offensive-minded forward. Look for him to be among the team’s scoring leaders this season, a 20G-30A output doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.
Prediction: Carolina is one of the more balanced teams in the league. From a mixture of young guns and veterans, the Hurricanes have depth at scoring, solid defensive play, and outstanding goaltending. Despite not having the strongest special teams in the game, they find ways to steal wins on a regular basis. With the team virtually unchanged from their spectacular run a season ago, Carolina is poised to sneak up on Washington and take the division crown away from two-time defending champion, and perhaps more.

2.) Washington Capitals

Rearview Mirror: After capturing their 2nd straight Southeast Divison crown and the 2nd overall seed in the East, Washington was on the shortlist to contend for the Stanley Cup. After rallying from a 3-1 deficit to beat the NY Rangers in 7 games, reigning two-time Hart Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin (70GP, 56G-54A-110PTS, league high 528 SOG) led the Caps into battle against his arch-nemesis – Sidney Crosby and the Pegunins. While Alexander the Great (14pts in 7 games) and Sid the Kid (13pts in 7 games) held offensive clinics in the 7 game series, Pittsburgh humiliated Washington in the confines of the Verizon Center when it mattered.
Off-Season Ins: F Mike Knuble (PHI: 82GP, 27G-20A-47PTS, 62PIM), F Brendan Morrison (ANA/DAL: 505PTS in 755 career games)
Off-Season Outs: G Brent Johnson (to PIT), F Donald Brashear (to NYR), F Sergei Federov and F Viktor Kozlov (both signed with KHL-Russia)
What Makes Them Tick: Washington is one of the highest scoring teams in the league, and they have Ovechkin to thank for it. Last season, he accounted for 19.25% and 20.9% of the Capitals’ total shots and goals respectively. While the opposition will tend to focus on Ovie, they shouldn’t forget the other offensive weapons the club has. For starters, Nicklas Backstrom (82GP, 22G-66A-88PTS, 46PIM) and Alexander Semin (62GP, 34G-45A-79PTS, +25) are more than capable to hold their own with Ovechkin. On the blueline, Norris trophy nominee Mike Green (68GP, 31G-42A-73PTS, 18PPG, 110 blocked shots) is quickly establishing himself as one of the top offensive defensemen of his generation. While Green provides the offense from the point, Milan Jurcina (79GP, 157 hits, 131 blocked shots) and Shaone Morrison (72GP, 111 hits, 98 blocked shots) provide much of the defensive muscle that allowed a respectable 245 goals last year. The additions of Knuble and Morrison should give the Caps a bit more offensive punch and lot more size to go along with Ovechkin’s style of play.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Has goaltender Jose Theodore regained the form that won him the Hart Trophy in 2002 with the Canadiens? After posting some of his best numbers in almost six seasons (57GP, 32-17-5, 2.87 GAA), he was unceremoniously yanked after one game in the 2009 postseason. Boudreau has anointed Theodore as his number one starter in training camp, but will have to fend off some still competition from Semyon Varlamov (w/Hershey-AHL: 27GP, 19-7-1, 2.40 GAA, .920 SV%) in order to keep it. If Theodore holds down that spot, it will be interesting to see if he can still be productive as he was in Montreal. However…
Player to Watch: If Theodore performs like he did during his Colorado days, all eyes will be watching on the aforementioned Varlamov. He only had 6 regular season appearances, but his playoff numbers were spectacular (7-6, 2.53 GAA, .918 SV%, 2 SO). The 23rd overall draft pick in 2006 guided his Russian Super League club to the finals in 2008 before making the transition over to the NHL last fall. He showed the fans in Hershey and Washington what he is capable of, and is poised to become one of the top Russian goalies on the planet today. Depending on his playing time, look for him to carry a sub 2.60 GAA and .920 save percentage this year.
Prediction: The Capitals can win the division for the third straight year. While I believe they can, that’s not the reason why I didn’t pick them to. While the offense and defense is there, I just have too many doubts about the goaltending. Theodore is a hot and cold netminder, while Varlamov is still green to the North American style of the game. I’ve been proven wrong many times before, and I wouldn’t be shocked if I was proven wrong again with my pick. Yet, one or both of these masked men need to step up in order to do so. They are still a very sexy pick to go deep in the post-season, but they gotta get through 82 games first.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

Rearview Mirror: If a single word could describe last season for Tampa Bay, the appropriate one would be “dysfunctional”. Let’s play a game of Beyond the Numbers just to highlight how things were last year in the Bay Area. First is 200 million, as in the dollar amount that “Saw” producer Oren Koules and Len Barrie ponied-up to purchase the Bolts and lease the St. Pete Times Forum. Second is 16, the number of games of Barry Melrose’ 2nd tenure behind the bench before getting replaced by Rick Tocchet in November. Third is 50, for how many players suited up for Tampa last season (22 defensemen alone). Fourth is 351, for the amount of man games lost to injury last season (and subsequent explanation for why the 3rd number is so large). Fifth is 46, as in how many points 1st overall pick Steve Stamkos netted in his first season (23G-23A in 79GP). The final numbers are 24-40-18, the Bolts’ record for a disastrous 2008-09 season. Bring on the changes by GM Bryan Lawton.
Off-Season Ins: D Victor Hedman (2009 2nd overall draft pick), D Mattias Ohlund (325PTS, 756PIM in 11 seasons with VAN), F Stephane Veilleux (MIN: 81GP, 23PTS, 98 hits), F Todd Fedoruk (PHX: 72GP, 13PTS, 125 hits), G Antero Niittymaki (PHI: 32GP, 13-8-6, 2.76GAA, .912 SV%)
Off-Season Outs: F David Koci (to COL), D Noah Welch (to ATL)
What Makes Them Tick: The Bolts have a very solid forward unit, led by the dynamic duo of captain Vincent Lecavalier (career with TB: 787GP, 302G-367A-669PTS, 561PIM) and Martin St. Louis (career wit TB: 621GP, 234G-331A-565PTS, 226PIM). Lecavalier missed the final five games last season to undergo wrist surgery that hampered his offensive output from last season (77GP, 29G-38A-67PTS, -9). He shoul be good to go for this upcoming season. To help supplement the goal production, head coach Rick Tocchet will continue to look upon Ryan Malone (70GP, 26G-19A-45PTS, 173 hits), and the aforementioned Steve Stamkos. Acquiring Stephane Veilleux and Todd Fedoruk during the off-season will also provide some much needed grit and contribute to an anemic offense that scored only 210 goals last season, tied for 2nd worst in the conference.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Things took a major hit last season between the pipes and along the blueline last season. Out of the 50 players that dressed for Tampa last season, 22 of them were defensemen and four were goaltenders. The Bolts allowed a massive 3.28 goals last season, 27th in the league. A major retooling in the off-season led to Mattias Ohlund leaving the Pacific Northwest after 11 successful years and the drafting of Swedish phenom Victor Hedman (more on him in a minute) to strengthen the defensive corps. Antero Niiittymaki comes in as a proven backup for starter Mike Smith (41GP, 14-18-9, 2.82GAA, .916 SV%) just in case the youngster goes down again with a concussion. The major question that remains is can the new additions jell together in time to become a cohesive unit in time for the regular season?
Player to Watch: Victor Hedman, thought he hasn’t played a single shift in the NHL, will automatically have his name in the mix for Calder trophy consideration. According to NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire, “Victor Hedman brings…unsurpassed combinations of size (6’6”, 220lbs), explosiveness in his skating, quickness and offensive ability (2009 Rookie of the Year winner with 21pts in 43 games with SEL’s MoDo). He is indeed the whole package." He most certainly has the proper defensive mentor in fellow Swede Mattias Ohlund to help the young lad from Ornskoldsvik get acclimated to the NHL and life in North America. Hockey Bay could be seeing the torch passing from one of the present elite Swedish defensemen to the future.
Prediction: A wise man told me “I think Tampa will surprise some people with Stamkos and now Hedman/Ouhland as their defense leaders.” I did believe that Tampa would be good, but not good enough to earn a playoff berth. After researching their off-season moves in comparison with the rest of the conference, I will offer a bold prediction to everybody – not only will the Tampa Bay Lightning make the playoffs, they will advance to the conference semi-finals.

4.) Florida Panthers

Rearview Mirror: Florida and Montreal tied for the 8th and final playoff spot at the end of the season, but the Canadiens made the dance thanks to winning the season series. The “almost made it” for the 2nd straight year wasn’t good enough to convince Jay Bouwmeester to stick around. Demanding for a trade since the end of the 2007-08 season, J-Bo finally got his wish near the NHL Entry Draft by getting shipped to Calgary in exchange for Jordan Leopold. Two points wasn’t enough for GM Jacques Martin either. Itching to get behind the bench again, he’s now in charge of bringing the Habs back to their former glory. The main reason why Florida was able to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt last season was of G Tomas Voukoun’s spectacular play (59GP, 26-23-6, 2.49GAA, .926 SV%, 6SO). But in the end, it just wasn’t good enough yet again.
Off-Season Ins: G Scott Clemmensen (NJ: 40GP, 25-13-1, 2.39GAA, .917 SV%), D Jordan Leopold (CGY: 83GP, 7G-17A-24PTS, 66 hits), C Steve Reinprecht (334PTS in 552 career games), D Ville Koistinen (NSH: 28PTS in 86 career games)
Off-Season Outs: GM Jacuqes Martin (head coach – MTL), D Jay Bouwmeester (to FLA), D Karlis Skrastins (to DAL), C Anthony Stewart (to ATL), LW Ville Peltonen and RW Richard Zednik (both signed with KHL-Russia)
What Makes Them Tick: The Panthers are a very young club up front, let by David Booth (72GP, 31G-29A-60PTS, 11PPG), Stephen Weiss (78GP, 14G-47A-61PTS, 50.9 FO%), Nathan Horton (67GP, 22G-23A-45PTS, 95 hits), and Michael Frolik (79GP, 21G-24A-45PTS, 22PIM). Add veteran Steve Reinprecht into the mix, and you have some veteran leadership to the stable that is sorely lacking after Olli Jokinen was dealt to Phoenix in 2008. The aforementioned quartet were all drafted and developed by the Panthers organization, so with each passing season sees these guys improve more and more as a cohesive unit on the ice for years to come.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: How do you replace the skills of Jay Bouwmeester along the blueline? The truth is you can’t. While Bouwmeester (203PTS in 401 career games w/FLA) possessed brilliant offensive numbers during his career, he also had the size (6’4”, 212lbs) and defensive skills that any team could build a blueline corps around. The man Florida received in return, Leopold, isn’t much of a physical defenseman (6’1”, 200lbs). Look for Keith Ballard to take on the role as top tier defenseman. Despite his 5’11” frame, he is a 208lb physical powerhouse that plays like he’s 6’5” (172 hits, 136 blocked shots). He also did amass 34 points last season. Koistinen also joins a completely rebuilt defense corps for this upcoming season that will be led by veteran Bryan McCabe (457PTS, 1,615PIM in 986 career games).
Player to Watch: Steve Reinprecht (73GP, 14G-27A-41PTS, 20PIM) finally has the chance to increase his offensive output this season. One of the more underrated players in the game today, the 11 year journeyman veteran was squeezed out of Phoenix do to their young stable of talent (or lack of funding). Florida gave the man the opportunity to take a more active role as a top six forward and veteran leader that is really needed for such a young franchise. He has the talent surrounding him to finally crack the 20-goal and 60 point plateau for the first time in his career, and perhaps return to the playoffs since his days with the Avalanche (won Stanley Cup with them in 2001).
Prediction: Losing Olli Jokinen and Jay Bouwmeester the past two season in Sunrise really hurt the Panthers’ chances of making the playoffs, but they still managed to be in the thick of things each year. While they are still a very competitive club on paper, head coach Peter DeBoer is expecting the goaltending tandem of Vokoun and Clemmensen to carry the team on its back to a playoff berth. It could happen, but it’s unlikely. The defensive corps will be severely tested as Florida’s playoff drought will continue for yet another season.

5.) Atlanta Thrashers

Rearview Mirror: The Thrashers celebrated a milestone last season. The club participated in their ninth full season in the NHL in the city of Atlanta. It probably doesn’t sound important, but any hardcore hockey fan would know that this isn’t the city’s first NHL team. The old Atlanta Flames only lasted eight seasons down south before moving to Calgary in 1980. That was the only celebration for Les Thrash, as they finished with 76 points for the 2nd consecutive season, good for 13th in the East. Per usual, leading the way was team captain Ilya Kovalchuk (79GP, 43G-48A-91PTS, 50PIM). Along with Kovalchuk, veteran Slava Kozlov (82GP, 26G-50A-76PTS, 15.8% shooting), and career years by Todd White (82GP, 22G-51A-73PTS, 18:03 TOI/G) & Bryan Little (79GP, 31G-20A-51PTS, 24PIM) contributed towards 257 goals for last season, 41 more scored than 2007-08.
Off-Season Ins: F Nik Antropov (TOR/NYR: 81GP, 28G-31A-59PTS, 12.5% shooting), D Pavel Kubina (TOR: 82GP, 14G-26A-40PTS, 94PIM), D Noah Welch (4th club since lockout), F Anthony Stewart (23rd overall pick in 2003)
Off-Season Outs: D Garent Exelby (to TOR), F Colin Stewart (to TOR), D Clay Wilson (to FLA), D Brett Skinner (to COL)
What Makes Them Tick: Kovalchuk has been the cornerstone of the franchise since being drafted first overall by GM Don Waddell in 2001. His numbers suggest he hasn’t disappointed (297G-260A-557PTS in 545 career games). However, the teams that surrounded him have been failures. To entice the free agent to be that the club is determined to be successful now, Waddell went out and surrounded Ilya with the tools he needs to lead the club back to the postseason. “Swiss-army” forward Nik Antropov (304PTS in 527 career games) was brought in for his ability to play all three positions up front. The addition of Pavel Kubina (746 career games with TOR/TB) on the blueline gives the Thrashers a legit top 4 defense corps. He joins the likes of Ron Hainsey (81GP, 39PTS, 22:22 TOI/G), Tobias Enstrom (82GP, 32PTS, 23:31 TOI/G), and the fourth person I’ll go in depth on a bit later – Zach Bogosian.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Goaltending woes have doomed this franchise since their inception in 1999. Names such as Rhodes, Nurminen, Hnilicka, Dunham, and Dafoe have guarded the pipes in Blueland and watched their GAA’s skyrocket in the process. Last season, Atlanta surrendered 280 goals – only Toronto allowed more (293). Incumbent starter Kari Lehtonen may be the club’s all time leader in games played (204), wins (94) and shutouts (14), but two groin surgeries in the past four seasons raise several questions about his physical health. Backup netminder Johan “Moose” Hedberg (33GP, 13-12-3, 3.49 GAA, .886 SV%) still gives the Thrashers a proven veteran in case Lehtonen decides to go down with another injury. However, he has only started 41 games or more in a season twice in his career – last in 2002-03 with Pittsburgh.
Player to Watch: While all eyes will be on current “face of the franchise” in Kovalchuk and his impending UFA status, I’d be keeping tabs on the next one - D Zach Bogosian. Selected third overall in 2008 from the Peterborough Petes, Bogosian was having an excellent rookie season before suffering a broken leg. He did finish up strong after returning from injury by netting 11 points (including six goals) in his final 16 games. Not only does Bogosian have good offensive skills (47GP, 9G-10A-19PTS, 47PIM), he also has great size. Listed as 6’2”, 200 lbs., the kid has grown into his body during his time in the OHL. He has the right combination of assets to become a franchise defenseman, something Atlanta has never had in franchise history.
Prediction: The clock is ticking for Don Waddell. His previous 9 seasons of assembling a team has resulted in only one postseason appearance – a 4 game sweep at the hand of the NY Rangers in 2007. With each passing season, the amount of empty seats within the interior of Philips Arena has increased. Atlanta was the only team to average below 80% capacity last season. Even with all the random flurry of offseason acquisitions and smart drafting the past few seasons, it won’t be enough to get the Thrashers back into postseason competition. But will it be enough to keep Kovalchuk in midnight blue after 2010? Will it be enough for Waddell’s job security? The clock is ticking.

PACIFIC DIVISION PREVIEW

2009-09-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West! A lot of us on the east coast don’t stay up late enough to see the great hockey action that happens on the west coast, so don’t forget that the President Trophy team came from the Pacific last season. The Stars are two years removed from a Western Conference Finals run and the Ducks won the Stanley Cup in 2007. Then, there is the bottom of the division: the Hamilton/Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles-two-years-away-Kings. So here we go in our exploration of the Pacific Division

1.) San Jose Sharks
Rear View Mirror: The good for the Sharks was a President Trophy run and the bad were a first round exit. The team was lead by a balance scoring attack that saw 6 players score 20+ goals led by thier captain Patrick Marleau (38 goals)and sophomore sensations Devin Setoguchi (31 goals). Last year also saw a resurgence of both 30+ defenseman Dan Boyle (57 points) and Rob Blake (45 points) especially on the 3rd ranked power play where they combine for 54 points. Even with a franchise record 117-point season and all the talent in the world the Sharks bowed out disappointingly in a 6 game series to the Anaheim Ducks.
Offseason Ins: LW Dany Heatley (OTT: 82 GP, 39G-33A-72P), C Scott Nichol (NSH: 43 GP- 10 P-79 Hits), D Derek Joslin (AHL: 11G – 30 P- 6 PPG), RW Jed Ortmeyer (AHL: 55 GP-10 G-23 P), G Thomas Greiss (AHL: 30-24-3, 2.47 GAA, .907 save %)
Offseason Outs: LW Milan Michalek (57 pts), RW Jonathan Cheechoo (former 50 goal scorer), D Christian Ehrhoff (25 PP), RW Mike Grier (147 Hits), C Jeremy Roenick (Class guy), G Brian Boucher (12 W), LW Travis Moen (5 P in 19 G), D Alexei Semenov (57 PIM), C Tomas Pilhal (64 GP)
What Makes Them Tick: Up front this team is fast, deep, and excels in scoring the difficult goals, exemplified by their top scorer Joe Thornton (86 points). Big Joe has been dynamic since his trade to the Sharks and will once again be asked to be the team leader on the ice and especially on the power play where he had a team high 11 goals and 35 points. They added some much needed help for Big Joe on the first line with Ottawa outcast Dany Heatley, but with this guys talent also comes baggage as he has now forced his way out of two organizations. The team will also expect bigger things from their improving young guns, Setoguchi and Joe Pavleski, who are both restricted free agents at the end of the season and both coming off career seasons last year.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Their, now former, captain Marleau had a career-high in goals and was responsible at both ends shown in his career-best plus-16 rating but with a disappointing playoff and only one year left on his contract rumors will fly about the end of his 11-year run in San Jose. Another player on the last year of a long term contract and on the long list of Sharks who disappointed in the playoffs, is goalie Evgeni Nabokov. 34-year-old Nabokov was clearly out played by Jonas Hiller in the playoff series vs the Ducks and missed significant time with two separate injuries last season. With Brian Boucher, Nabokov’s back up for the last two seasons, gone off to Philadelphia, the backup duties are now onto former 3rd round pick Thomas Greiss. Greiss played in the 2006 Olympics for his home country Germany but has only seen action in 3 NHL games, so Nabokov’s health and stability will be counted on more this season.
Player to Watch: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the man they call “Pickles”, will be counted on heavily on the back line this season. The 22-year-old signed a big four-year, $12.4 million contract extension and will be elevated to top line defensive status. Vlasic already saw significant minutes on the penalty kill and, with the recent trade of Christian Ehrhoff, will see his power play minutes increase. “Pickles” who once scored 73 points in QMJHL, is primed for a big offensive season for the Sharks.
Prediction: Once again this team will be evaluated on the playoff success. We all know they are talented and should win the Pacific Division for the third straight year. If they come out slow, or are not playing to expectations right before the trade deadline, don’t be surprised if Doug Wilson continues to pulls the trigger on big trade pieces like Patrick Marleau or Evgeni Nabokov. I predict another great regular season followed by disappointing playoffs, but that seems like an easy prediction.
2.) Anaheim Ducks
Rear View Mirror: The Ducks were inconsistent for most of the 2008-09 regular season, but turned it on to upset the top seeded, and division rival, Sharks in the first round of the playoffs and even took the powerful Red Wings to a 7-game series in the second round. Led by the dynamic offensive duo of Ryan Getzlaf (91 points) and Corey Perry (32 goals) and Calder Trophy candidate Bobby Ryan (31 goals in 64 games). Defensively, they relied heavily on their two pillars, Chris Pronger and Captain Scott Niedermayer, who ranked 2nd and 3rd in minutes played per game for defenseman. The Ducks had an up and down season but the biggest surprise for the former Stanley Cup Champions was the emergence of Jonas Hiller taking the reigns as their starter goalie. The organization early showed they had faith in the undrafted free agent when they released backup goalie Ilya Bryzgalov during the 2007-08 season but as a backup to former Con Smyth and Stanley Cup winner Jean-Sebastuen Gigure. With Jiggy struggling last season, Hiller split time with each goaltender playing 36 games, but it was Hiller who was given the playoff nod due in large part of his better overall numbers (23-15-1, 2.39 GAA, .919 save %).
Offseason Ins: LW Joffrey Lupu (PHI: 79 GP-25 G- 50 P), C Saku Koivu (MTL: 65 GP-16 G- 50 P), D Nick Boynton (FLA: 68 GP-21 P- 91 PIM),D Luca Sbisa (PHI: 39 GP – 7 P)
Offseason Outs: D Chris Pronger (26:56 TOI/G), D Francoise Beauchemin (5 Pts in 20 GP), RW Rob Niedermayer (14 G), D Bret Hedican (51 GP)
What Makes Them Tick: On draft night it was good news/bad news for the organization. Good news that their Captain Scott Niedermayer decided to come back for his 18th season and once again will be the backbone of this organization. Bad news was that in the salary cap era they could not keep their other big time defenseman Chris Pronger. Pronger was then traded to the Philadelphia Flyers once again for Joffrey Lupul (who the Oilers traded for when traded Pronger to Ducks in 2006), top defensive prospect Luca Sbisa and draft pciks. Thus changing the dynamic of the franchise from their backline to their top line led by young guns of Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan. Their second line scoring should increase with the signing of Saku Koivu (50 points) to play with his countryman Teemu Selanne and the acquisition of Joffrey Lupul (25 goals).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: How do you replace a player like Chris Pronger? The Ducks started laying the ground work last season acquiring former 5th overall pick Ryan Whitney from the Penguins and the tough James Wisniewski from the Blackhawks. They finished off the total remodeling process by letting go of often injured Francois Beauchemin (Toronto) and replacing him with former All-Star Nick Boynton. But the question surrounding this team this season will be how do you replace a Norris Trophy, all around defenseman like Chris Pronger?
Player to Watch: It is a hard place to be when you are drafted right after the so called savior of the league but Bobby Ryan last year finally showed why he deserved to be the second overall pick of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Salary cap reasons kept the talented forward in the minors to start the season but got recalled for good in November. Showing immediately that this is where he belonged, in January he scored a natural hat trick vs the Kings the last goal a highlight reel spinorama YouTube sensation. Ryan, 22, led the Ducks with a plus-13 plus/minus rating and broke Dustin Penner’s club rookie records for goals (31) and points (57). Obviously much more will be expected from the 6-2 power forward especially on special teams as Ryan is poised to show the league that he isn’t just the guy drafted after Crosby.
Prediction: Their offensive talent is as impressive as any team in the league, yet they still lack that shutdown 3rd line that made them so successful the last couple of seasons. Their defense will be the ultimate question mark with Ryan Whitney needing to show he has no ill effects from his foot surgery. There could be some drama in net as Hiller has proven he should be the number one, but Jiggy wants to prove that last season was more linked to personal problems than his skills. Hiller is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and Giguere is signed at one more year with a $6 million cap hit, so expect one of these two not to be here at the end of the season, especially if the team needs to pick up some much needed defensive depth. Overall, this team will be fighting hard for a playoff spot but that will have more to do with their offense and goaltending than their defensive play.
3.) Dallas Stars
Rear View Mirror: In a season dominated by injuries to their top talent, the Dallas Stars 2008-09 season was one to forget. Marty Turco, who had seemed to take a step towards an elite goaltender, played in a career high 74 games but had a career worst .898 save percentage which ranked 42nd among NHL goaltenders, his GAA wasn’t much better ranked 30th (2.81). Relying heavily on young, but talented, defensemen caught up to the Stars, who historically has been a great two way hockey team under Ken Hitchcock and Dave Tippett. Offensively, they lost heart and soul captain Brendon Morrow early to a knee surgery that forced him to miss the last 64 games of the season and top flight center Brad Richards was limited to only 56 games due to various injuries. Positive signs that came out of a relative down season were the emergence of “Sweet” Lou Ericksson. The third year for this Swede was a breakout year that saw Eriksson score 36 goals and play a dominant two-way game. Another positive sign was rookie James Neal, only 21-years-old, scoring 24 goals which ranked second for NHL rookies and showing he can ascend into the top six forwards for the Stars.
Offseason Ins: D Karlis Skrastins (FLA: 80GP, 4G-14A-18PTS, +9), G Alex Auld (OTT: 16-18-7, 2.47 GAA, .911 save%)
Offseason Outs: D Sergei Zubov (1999 Stanley Cup), D Darryl Sydor (65GP), RW Mark Parrish (8G), G Tobias Stephan (1-3-1 last season)
What Makes Them Tick: The norm after a disappointing season is to replace the coach and GM. Well, the Stars did both this offseason. Hiring only their third coach in the last 15 years, Marc Crawford and a full time GM in former Stars forward and 199 Conn Smythe Trphy winner, Joe Nieuwendyk. The strength of the team will be fit to play Crawford’s more attacking style offense. They have relentless forwards in Morrow, Eriksson, Richards, Steve Ott and Mike Modano (who is returning for his 20th NHL season). I have not even mentioned the player that has lead the team in points all three seasons he has played in Dallas. Mike Ribeiro has proven the skeptics from Montreal wrong that he can be a top line center. The 29-year-old forward followed a breakout year in 2007-08 (27G-56A-83Pts) with a good year (22G-56A-78Pts) considering he was missing his winger (Morrow) the entire season. Defensively, they have found a new leader to take over for the departed and often injured Sergei Zubov, in another Canadiens Castoff, Stephane Robidas. The journeyman defenseman finally found a home in Dallas, and though has not put up the offensive numbers of a number one defenseman, his +10 rating and ice time (24:32 TOI/G) has proven he is ready to be the leader of this young defense core.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Marty Turco is in his last year of a contract. The 34-year-old goalie will try to prove that last year was just a blip on the radar and try to do his best Nikolai Khabibulin perform well in a contract year impression. The defense, like I’ve said numerous times in this preview, is talented but young and prone to giveaways and lapse. Best example is Matt Niskanen, who although led the team in defensive scoring (35 Pts) had a team high 49 giveaways and was a -11. Another issue has to be health for this team. With so many of their top 6 forwards coming off serious injuries, one has to speculate if they are going to last through the season. Also a team with not much depth offensively within the organization could turn into déjà vu all over again for the Stars.
Player to Watch: Fabian Brunnstrom was a highlight sought after rookie free agent from Sweden. Teams were lining up to get him to sign and come over to America. The Dallas Stars won that lottery and signed the former Swedish Elite League star to a two-year entry level contract. Brunnstrom’s freshman season did not go as planned since he wan’t even in the lineup for the first two games of the season. Yet later he showed why he was asked to leave his home country to play in the NHL. In Brunnstrom’s first NHL game he scored a hat trick, becoming only the third player in NHL History to accomplish that feat. Although he was in and out of the lineup due to injuries, he finished his rookie year with 17 goals and 12 assists in 55 games played. With his contract only being for another year, this is his season to show that he was worth the hype and force his way into the top 6 forwards rotation.
Prediction: With a new coach usually comes a new attitude and new lease on life and that is what I expect to see in Dallas this season. Marty Turco should bounce back and now has a capable backup in Alex Auld which should cut down on the games played a bit. The key to the year will be the health of Brenden Morrow. Just go back and watch the Stars’ remarkable run toward the 2008 Western Conference Finals and tell me that this guy doesn’t make a big difference on this team. Remember this former first round pick by the Stars took the role of captain from Mike Modano while the Stars legend was still on the team. Speaking of Captain America, it would be fitting to have his last season (if he doesn’t pull a Favre on us) end in the playoffs. The all-time American-born scoring leader (1,329 points), who has been with the franchise since he was taken 1st overall by Minnesota in 1988, is in his last year of his contract and his 20th should be his last.
4.) Los Angeles Kings
Rear View Mirror: The Kings are the young and the fans are the restless. Last year’s early golf game added to the 6th consecutive season where the Kings did not qualify to play for Lords Stanley’s Cup. The NHL’s youngest team (26.27 average age) saw 10 rookies suit up for the team last season. None bigger than 2008 2nd overall pick Drew Doughty. I will have more him later in the preview. Offensively, they are lead by a trio of 20-year olds; 21-year-old Anze Kopitar (82 GP, 27G-39A-66 Pts), 24-year-old Dustin Brown (80 GP, 24G-29A-53 Pts), and wise old man at 27-years of age, Alexander Frolov (77 GP, 32G-27A-59 Pts). Last season, with the hiring of Terry Murray, a point was made to be more responsible in the defensive end and the Kings responded ranking 4th in the NHL in shots allowed and 11th in the league in Goals Against. Speaking of the goaltending, three net-minders played last season, but rookie Jonathan Quick emerged as the leader of the pack. The former 3rd round pick ended the campaign with a 21-18-2 record, 6 shutouts, 2.48 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 44 games played.
Offseason Ins: LW Ryan Smyth (COL: 77GP, 26G-33A-59 Pts), D Rob Scuderi (PIT: 16 pts, 164 BkS)
Offseason Outs: D Kyle Quincey (27 PP), D Tom Preissing(22 GP), LW Kyle Calder (27 Pts)
What Makes Them Tick: With such a young roster, the team knew they needed to add some winning experience to teach these kids how to be successful in the NHL. Enter first, Justin Williams, a Stanley Cup Champion with the Hurricanes in 2006 at last year’s trade deadline. That was followed by the July signing of defenseman Rob Scuderi to a 4-year deal, and whose heroics helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in June. The Last key to bringing some much needed leadership to this team was acquiring Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth, from the Avalanche. After two years in Colorado, Smyth will be asked to take top line minutes and improve on his 6th season that saw him score 25+ goals (26 goals in 77 games played last season).
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Anze Kopitar led the Kings in points last season, but the Slovenian center saw his numbers take a big drop off (32 to 27 goals and 77 to 66 points). Now, with the acquisition of big winger Smyth and Justin Williams to play on the top line, big things are expected of this former first round pick who last October signed a huge 7-year deal to be the cornerstone of this growing franchise. Healthy will also be a big issue for this team, as Justin Williams has shown the potential to be a top line 30 goal scorer when in the lineup. The problem is he has played a total of 81 games in the last two years. Talented, but controversial, defenseman Jack Johnson missed 41 games due to a shoulder injury and his health will be crucial to the team defense. None of the three headed monster of Quick, Erik Esberg and Jonathan Bernier have shown they are capable to be full time NHL goaltenders
Player to Watch: The smooth skating Drew Doughty burst onto the scene last season for the Kings as a 19-year-old rookie. He led all NHL rookies and his team with just less than 24 minutes of ice time per game and though his offensive numbers weren’t anything to write home about with 6G-21A-27 Pts, and his -17 is a black mark in an otherwise successful rookie season. In a recent Hockey News article, Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland was asked who could be the next Nicklas Lidstrom and he responded with Drew Doughty. That alone shows you how much talent this kid possesses, after a successful World Championship he was asked to attend the Canadian Olympic camp. Big things are expected from this big defenseman in La La Land.
Prediction: The moves to get Williams, Smyth and Scuderi and the core scores of Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Alexander Frolov are something to be excited about in Hollywood. This team, under the direction of Terry Murray and GM Dean Lombardi, seems to be going in the right direction and I am glad that they did not take the risk of acquiring maligned forward Dany Heatley. Who will win the goaltending battle in camp and the pre-season and will be the biggest question mark heading into the season. One of the candidates for the goaltending spot needs to step out of the pot luck and contribute for this team to be on the cusp of that elusive playoff berth that has haunted this franchise.
5.) Phoenix Coyotes
Rear View Mirror: It was a long season that saw the Coyotes finish out of the playoffs for the seventh straight season. Team captain Shane Doan continued to show that you can be successful for a bad team (82 GP, 31G-42A-73 Pts). GM Don Maloney made a ton of moves at the trade deadline acquiring young talent in Scottie Upshall (13 pts in 19 games), Matthew Lombardi (16 pts in 19 games) and Petr Prucha (10 pts in 19 games).
Offseason Ins: G Jason LaBarbera (LA/VAN: 8-10-6, 2.78 GAA, .901 save %), RW Radim Vrbata (TB: 18 GP, 3G-3A-6P), D Adrian Aucoin (CGY: 81 GP, 10G-24A-34P), D Jim Vandermeer (CGY: 108 PIM), LW Lauri Korpikoski (68 GP, 6G-8A-14P), C Vernon Fiddler (NSH: 78 GP, 11G-6A-17P)
Offseason Outs: C Steven Reinprecht (41 pts), LW Joakim Lindstrom (11 ast), D Ken Klee (68 GP), RW Enver Lisin (13G), LW Nigel Dawes (10G), LW Todd Fedoruk (72 PIM), D David Hale (48 GP)
What Makes Them Tick: They have a solid and barely legal core of young players playing significant minutes for this rebuilding team. 21-year-old Peter Mueller leads the pack (72 GP, 13G-23A-36A), followed by 6’5’’ 22-year-old Martin Hanzal (74 GP, 11G-20A). These two big centers along with sophomores Mikkael Boedker (11G as a rookie), Kyle Turris (3rd overall pick in 2007), and Viktor Tikhonov (28th overall pick in 2008) shows the fans of wherever this team plays that they have something to look forward to. Defensively, they will be a tough team to play against as Ed Jovanovksi, Jovo Cop, got some new hard hitters to his squad with the addition of Adrian Aucoin and Jim Vandermeer from the Flames.
What Could Make Them Go Boom: Well, Wayne Gretzky’s team still does not know where they will play their home games in the future. The ongoing U.S. Bankruptcy court battle between the NHL and Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, has hung a luminous, dark cloud over this organization that has already moved from Winnipeg to the desert. On the ice, that dark cloud seems to be over whatever ice surface they play on, beyond Shane Doan this team does not have a proven NHL scorer and although Keith Yandle (69 GP, 4G-26A-30P) had a decent statistical year the same can be said about the defense beyond Jovanovski. Goaltending will be an issue for this team as Ilya Bryzgalov has not looked as sharp as he did when he first arrived via waivers from the Ducks. The Coyotes signed Bryzgalov to a new 3-year deal in January and saw his save percentage drop from .921 in 2007-08 to .906 last season. The team also has two former Hartford Wolfpack greats in Jason LaBarbara (signed as a UFA from Vancouver) and Al Montoya (6th overall pick in 2004 draft) to push Bryzgalov more this season.
Player to Watch: Rushed from Wisconsin because the Coyotes needed something to get fans to come see them play, Kyle Turris struggled in his first full NHL season. Playing in 63 games the 20-year-old scored a meager 20 points and only lit the lamp 8 times. This former Canadian Junior and Player of the Year who did have success his only year playing in the WCHA (35 points in 36 games for Wisconsin,) has shown promise to be worth his 3rd overall selection in the 2007 NHL entry draft. This season Turris will most likely start the season in the AHL, which most experts will see as a step back in his development. I think this will help his progress and I would not be surprised to see him making an impact with the desert dogs sooner than later.
Prediction: With so much uncertainty surrounding who owns the team and where they will be playing, how can that not be a distraction for the team on the ice? All the players are saying the right thing to the media; “I will play hard wherever I play.” But the team is doing the opposite. Being around the cap lower limit, they are showing that they are not willing to spend because of the uncertainty. I am not saying that in order to win in this league you need a high payroll, since the Predators, who also had their share of owner problems, has won regularly with a low payroll. What I am saying is this organization has let the controversy surrounding it affect everyone involved from players, to management, to the fans and it is not conducive for a winning culture. Not until the U.S. Bankruptcy court can put this team up for new owners, whoever they may be, will we see new life in this losing franchise. Until then, they will continue to be the bottom dwellers in the NHL.

NORTHEAST DIVISION PREVIEW

2009-08-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

A.J. Bloomquist - contributor to "Pucking Awesome"

Continuing the whirlwind tour, we head East for our next preview. The Boston Bruins are the class of the division, but it's anybody guess after that. Ottawa and Toronto are in rebuilding programs, Montreal finished with its renovation, and Buffalo is standing pat as usual. All four of these teams could potentially make the playoffs, but all four could miss them for various reasons. Feel free to scroll down as I explain my pics for how the Northeast division will play out for 2009-10.

1. BOSTON BRUINS

Rear View Mirror: Boston capped off one of the most successful regular season campaigns in club history, registering their highest point output in over 25 years. Unfortunately, a heartbreaking seven game defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes sent the B’s to the golf course a bit too early last year. If you check in several parts of Boston, Scott Walker is considered a curse word much like Aaron Boone back in 2003. Regardless, this team saw offensive breakout seasons from David Krejci (82GP, 22G-51A-73PTS, +37) and Phil Kessell (70GP, 36G-24A-60PTS, +23). All-world play from Norris-trophy winning defenseman Zdeno Chara (80GP, 19G-31A-50PTS, 95PIM) and Vezina-trophy winning goaltender Tim Thomas (54GP, 36-11-7, .933 SV%, 2.10 GAA) led towards the impressive 53-19-10 record last season.

Offseason Ins: Derek Morris (PHX/NYR: 75GP, 5G-15A-20PTS, 40PIM), Steve Begin (MTL: 482 PIM in 409 career games), Dany Sabourin (PIT: 2.85 GAA in 19GP ’08-‘09)

Offseason Outs: Steve Montador (to BUF), Shane Hnidy (to MIN), Stephane Yelle (to CAR)

What Makes Them Tick: From top to bottom, this team is the most complete in the Eastern Conference. Thomas and Chara’s numbers and accolades back that up, but also consider that this team has balanced scoring depth. Eight players scored at least 20 goals (only Kessell cracked the 30 plateau), and six players contributed at least 30 assists. Throw in a full season of Mark Recchi (80GP, 23G-38A-61PTS between TB & BOS) and a healthy Patrice Bergeron (303 Career Games, 228 PTS) and Marco Sturm (156 PTS in 226 Career Games w/ BOS) will only add to the offensive depth. On the blueline, Chara returns with fellow 50 pt. defenseman Dennis Wideman (79 GP, 13G-37A) and newly acquired Derek Morris still gives the B’s the size and grit that can destroy opposing forwards. Factor in the coaching style of Claude Julien, fresh off of winning the Jack Adams, and the Bruins have all the markings of a Stanley Cup contender.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The Bruins must avoid the injury bug during the regular season and for any player participating in the Vancouver Olympics. Bergeron has missed parts of the past two seasons with concussion-related issues. Sturm only played 19 games before going down for the season with a left knee injury, but still managed to net 13 points in ‘08. While the forward units stepped up to fill in those holes, the same can’t be said for the defense and goaltender positions. Losing Chara not only would hurt the defensive corps, but the voice on the ice as team Captain. Losing Thomas would definitely hurt the B’s between the crease. Dany Sabourin has started at least 15 games the past two seasons with Pittsburgh, but last started full time in the AHL. Tuukka Rask has had great success in the AHL with Providence, but has limited exposure to the NHL (5 Career Games).

Player to Watch: Blake Wheeler, who entered rookie camp with an added 15 lbs of muscle, continues to show why he was taken 5th overall in 2004. If the Phil Kessell holdout continues into the regular season, look for Wheeler to take some of his minutes on top two lines. Wheeler pocketed 45 points in his first full season in the NHL, and has the size and skill set to increase that number exponentially in the years to come.

Prediction: Look for the Bruins to snatch up a 2nd straight Northeast Division crown and a top-three playoff seeding. There is no excuse for this team to underachieve on the ice for 82 games this season, especially after the moves made by GM Peter Chiarelli to improve the defense. The offensive balance is still there. The goaltending position has no controversies. Ownership and management has brought in the tools to get the job done. The postseason is another issue, but I like their chances to be one of four potential representatives from the East in the Stanley Cup finals next spring.

2. BUFFALO SABRES

Rear View Mirror: Flash back to late January 2009 – Buffalo was 6th in the East until injuries derailed a potential postseason appearance. The first significant injury came on February 11th, when Thomas Vanek (40G-24A-64PTS, 20PPG) suffered a fractured jaw after taking a puck to the face. Ten days later, Ryan Miller (59GP, 31-18-6, .919 SV %, 5 SO) went down with an ankle injury on a controversial hit behind the net from Scott Gomez. In the games without their All-Star netminder, the Sabres went 4-7-2 and sealed their fate as becoming the first team to miss the playoffs 2 straight years after winning the President’s Trophy. Many credited the failure towards GM Darcy Regier for not adding some grit to a roster full of finesse players. Others pointed the blame towards Lindy Ruff’s coaching style during the putrid stretch. The real issues were on the ice, specifically towards players who weren’t living up to their paycheck. Players such as Jochen Hecht and Maxim Afinogenov (combined statline: 18G-29A-47PTS), who made a combined $7.3 million last season. In comparison, Paul Gaustad and Clarke MacArthur made almost one-third the amount of money ($2.25 million), but had the better combined statistics (29G-31A-60PTS).

Offseason Ins: Steve Montador (ANA/BOS: 78GP, 4G-17A-21PTS, 143PIM), Mike Grier (SJ: 345PTS in 914 career games; 2nd stint with BUF), Cody McCormick (COL: 250PIM in 190 career games)

Offseason Outs: Teppo Numminen (retired), Jaroslav Spacek (to MTL), Maxim Afinogenov (UFA), Andrew Peters (UFA)

What Makes Them Tick: Under the Regier/Ruff era, Buffalo’s success has been pinned on a balanced system of players scoring, exceptional goaltending, and special teams. These two haven’t survived 12 seasons as the longest GM/coach tandem for no reason. These men are some of the best at identifying, drafting, and grooming talented hockey players. More amazingly, they have been able to draft and develop that talent when the Sabres were in Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in 2002-03. Here’s a statistic for you - out of the 33 players who suited up in the Blue and Gold last season, the Sabres drafted 22 of them; More than any other team in the league. As for the aforementioned Miller and Vanek, forwards Derek Roy (82GP, 28G-42A-70PTS, 9 GWG) and Lady Byng finalist Jason Pominville (82GP, 20G-46A-66PTS, 18PIM) along with defenseman Henrik Tallinder (88PTS in 386CG, all with BUF) and Chris Butler (43GP, 16:43 TOI/G) are prime examples of how Buffalo’s system works. With youngsters such as Nathan Gerbe, Tim Kennedy, Tyler Myers, and Jhonas Enroth waiting in the wings to play in the NHL, the talent pool keeps replenishing itself season after season.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Two underlying factors can make the Sabres go boom for the 3rd straight season. First, losing Spacek (4G-18A on PP) to free agency means the Sabres have no true point man on the power play. Captain Craig Rivet (1G-10A on PP) and Andrej Sekera (1G-4A on PP) now are ordained as being the two PP QB’s, but expect Ruff to utilize a forward with a blistering slapshot on the point with these men. Potential candidates include Pominville (6G-18A on PP) and Tim Connolly (5G-13A on PP). The other factor is how the Sabres fared against the teams that finished 11th-15th in the East. Last year, they finished a combined 10-9-5 against the lower third, including 2-2 against Tampa Bay (14th) and the Islanders (15th). But the biggest blemishes were a 1-4-1 mark against 11th ranked Ottawa, and a putrid 0-4 record against 13th ranked Atlanta. The Sabres must not overlook these opponents at all next season.

Player to Watch: Jochen Hecht (370 PTS in 618 career games) is due for a rebound after posting some of the most disappointing numbers of his career last year. He has been known for being one of the better two-way forwards in the league who can contribute offensively with at least 40 points. A consummate professional on and off the ice, Hecht knows he needs to improve those numbers or else he’ll have nightly billing in Lindy Ruff’s doghouse. With the return of Mike Grier to Buffalo (55’s linemate from 2004-06), look for Hecht to return to at least 15 goals and 40 points playing on the third line this season.

Prediction: “Status Quo” is a phrase Sabres fans have stomached over the past several seasons from upper management. If anybody notices how the Sabres operate during the Regier/Ruff era, there is a pattern. Before the lockout saw two seasons of making the Eastern Conference Finals (including a Stanley Cup final), then a few years of either early elimination or early tee times. Since the lockout, two more seasons of making the Eastern Conference Finals, then two seasons of early tee times. Expect the “Status Quo” to continue, but in a positive fashion. Just because Buffalo didn’t add acquire any marquee players doesn’t necessarily mean they are doomed to miss the playoffs again. The team addressed the issue of grittiness to supplement the current skill players, and it should clinch a lower playoff seeding this season.

3. MONTREAL CANADIENS

Rear View Mirror: The Centennial for Les Bleu-Blanc-Rouge was supposed to be a season-long celebration for the oldest team in the NHL. Endless promotions honoring the greatest players in club history. Patrick Roy buried the hatchet with the Habs and returned home to have his #33 raised to the rafters. The All Star Game and NHL Entry Draft were awarded to the franchise as part of the festivities. Even the club on the ice, assembled by GM Bob Gainey, had all the components of capping off the Canadiens’ 100th Anniversary with the Stanley Cup. Instead, the season was more Le Noir-Bleu than anything. Goaltender Carey Price (52GP, 23-16-10, 2.83GAA) hit the dreaded sophomore slump. Players ignored then-head coach Guy Carbonneau until he was fired and replaced by Gainey himself near the playoffs. The most famous of all the craziness was the alleged involvement of brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn and Roman Hamerlik with a crime syndicate. All these factors turned a year of celebration into a year of sorrow in which the Canadiens limped into the 8th and final playoff spot, and were promptly swept by their arch-nemesis Bruins.

Offseason Ins: Head Coach Jacques Martin, Mike Cammalleri (CGY: 81GP, 39G-43A-82PTS, -2), Brian Gionta (NJ: 81GP, 20G-40A-60PTS, +12), Scott Gomez (NYR: 77GP, 16G-42A-58PTS, 60PIM), Paul Mara (NYR: 640PIM in 639 career games), Jaroslav Spacek (BUF: 80GP, 8G-37A-45PTS, 38PIM)

Offseason Outs: Christopher Higgins (to NYR), Doug Janik (to NYR), Tom Kostopolous (to CAR), Alexei Kovalev (to OTT), Mike Komisarek (to TOR), Saku Koivu (to ANA), Alex Tanguay (to TB)

What Makes Them Tick: New head coach Jacques Martin has a good history of grooming younger players into becoming fixtures in the NHL. He did it in Ottawa with Daniel Afredsson, Alexei Yashin, and Zdeno Chara. He did it in Florida with Nathan Horton and Jay Bouwmeester. Now, with a young stable of players led by Kyle Chipchura (14PTS in 49 career games), Matt D’Agostini (53GP, 12G-9A-21PTS, 16PIM), and Ben Maxwell (2006 Draft - 2/49), Martin will again have a chance to go for the hat trick. It will take training camp for the team to develop chemistry with all the new acquisitions, but expect Gionta and Gomez to set some of the tone as they did during their playing days in New Jersey. MOn defense, bringing in Spacek will really help out Andrei Markov on the power play. Markov specializes on setting up left side defensemen with the man advantage, and Spacek led Buffalo defensemen in points last season. Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak (34GP, 18-14-1, 2.86GAA, .915 SV%) are expected to share the workload in net, but Price must bounce back this season in order to be the clear-cut #1.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Montreal is tight on cap space with all the overspending on long-term deals during the first few days of free agency. Not to mention acquiring Scott Gomez’s bloated contract he signed with the Rangers 2 years ago that sees him getting paid $8 million over the next two seasons. While the team has young talent ready to crack the lineup, this will leave little room for the Habs to make trades at or near the deadline in order to acquire depth. If Gainey does make moves, they have to be on a dollar-for-dollar value. Many other teams have this issue now, such as Chicago and Boston. However, both of those clubs are in better positions for Cup runs than Montreal.

Player to Watch: There isn’t one player to single out for the Canadiens at the moment. Eventually, the player to watch will be the individual who will follow the long line of Habs greats who have worn the captain’s “C” on their left pectoral. Players such as Lalonde, Blake, Richard, Beliveau, Gainey, Carbonneau, and most recently, Koivu. My hunch would be defenseman Andrei Markov (78GP, 12G-52A-54PTS, 24:37 TOI/G) to take a step closer to get that “C”. He is one of the most tenured and respected players on the current roster.

Prediction: The 101st edition of Les Bleu-Blanc-Rouge will have its share of growing pains. If they kept a couple players from last year’s team, the Habs could’ve been easily looking at another postseason berth. Now, that’s not the case. It is going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of team jelling just to even be considered as a bubble team, much like last season’s underachieving club. It wouldn’t shock me if they sneak in as the 8th and final playoff team. It wouldn’t shock me if they missed the postseason all together. Nonetheless, it should be in interesting season to watch at the foot of Rue de la Gauchetière in Montreal.

4. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Rear View Mirror: The ice surface at Air Canada Centre has not seen postseason hockey since the NHL emerged from the lockout in 2005. Four straight seasons of sub-par hockey, including an embarrassing 81-point output last year. Hope finally emerged in November when Brian Burke became the 1st American GM in club history to take on the role of rebuilding Toronto. On the ice, head coach Ron Wilson got the most out of what he had, led by Jason Blake (78GP, 25G-38A-63PTS, 40PIM) and Alexei Ponakorovsky (82GP, 23G-38A-61PTS, 54.6 FO%) up front. Twelve players scored double-digit goals this past season, while ten contributed at least 10 assists. However, only one defenseman registered in both categories – Pavel Kubina (14G-26A in 82G). Defensive mainstay Tomas Kaberle (433PTS in 738 career games) battled injury for most of last season, being limited to 57 contests. Vesa Toskala (53GP, 22-17-11, 3.26GAA, .891 SV%) took hold of the starting goaltending spot last year, but isn’t the same player he was in San Jose.

Offseason Ins: Francois Beauchemin (ANA: 90PTS in 246 career games), Mike Komisarek (MTL: 66GP, 2G-9A-11PTS, 121PIM), Colton Orr (NYR: 82GP, 1G-4A-5PTS, 193PIM), Grant Exelby (ATL: 511PIM in 357 career games), Jonas Gustavsson (Sweden)

Offseason Outs: Pavel Kubina (to ATL), Justin Pogge (to ANA), Jeremy Williams (to DET)

What Makes Them Tick: Ron Wilson is a coach that is on the cutting edge of technology. Much like the late Roger Nielson’s usage of analyzing videotape of opposing teams for scouting purposes, Wilson has utilized personal computers and tablet PC’s to analyze his own team and the opposition on the fly during the course of a game. This season, Wilson might have to analyze how may ways his defensemen can pick apart an offensive attack with the signings of Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin. Both of these blueliners are known for their physical style of play, one that Brian Burke loves. Add Jeff Finger (66GP, 6G-17A-23PTS, 136 HITS) and 19-year old Luke Schenn (more on him later) to the mix, and you have the makings of what could be a very physical defensive corps that will set the tone this year. Expect more of the same physicality up front with the addition of Orr and Exelby to ensure Blake, Ponakarovsky, and Matt Stajan (76GP, 15G-40A-55PTS, 54PIM) continue to provide solid offensive numbers.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: If injuries start to mount for Toronto, they won’t have much in the AHL pipeline for depth. Former Leafs GM John Ferguson, Jr. was one to buy his team’s success instead of drafting and developing players. He would trade away draft picks and prospects in order to win now, but it never happened. The league doesn’t work that way anymore. Burke will take the next couple of drafts to start building his farm system to his liking, but in the short term, look for quick free-agent signings to fill in any holes for the Leafs.

Player to Watch: Expect great things from defenseman Luke Schenn (70GP, 2G-12A-14PTS, 71PIM) this season. This kid, dubbed the “Human Eraser” for his physical presence during the 2008 World Juniors, should benefit by having Komisarek and Beauchemin on his blueline for the next few seasons. Don’t expect any sophomore slump from Schenn, unless he decks a 2nd year player so hard the opposition is keeled over on his knees. He should be good for at least another 200+ hits this season and 120+ blocked shots.

Prediction: Burke must have a sign in his office that reads “Bigger is Better”. They are still a year or two away from being mentioned in the playoff hunt. However, they are starting to take the steps in the right direction by acquiring big, bruising players and shedding the passive, finesse ones. A 2010 lottery pick seems to be in the cards for Toronto this season, but fear not Leafs fans. Burke’s rebuilding efforts usually take at least 2 years, as shown for his success with Vancouver, and especially Anaheim. It will take another year in Toronto to acquire the right pieces, but don’t doubt for one second that the product on the ice won’t be entertaining. It should prove to be bone-jarring fun!

5. OTTAWA SENATORS

Rear View Mirror: Three years removed from playing for the Stanley Cup, the Ottawa Senators are now a shell of what they once were. Inconsistent play, constant bickering, injuries, inconsistent goaltending, and the team’s 3rd coaching change in two years lead the Sens to miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Obviously, when you think of offensive scoring on this team, it’s always going to be the top line of Dany Heatley (82GP, 39G-33A-72PTS), Jason Spezza (82GP, 32G-41A-73PTS), and team captain Daniel Afredsson (79GP, 24G-50A-74PTS). The next closest player in terms of points was defenseman Filip Kuba (71GP, 3G-37A-40PTS, 23:16 TOI/G). Ottawa has always been a one-dimensional team in regards to the big three on offense. Despite the depressing beginning of the season, new head coach Cory Clouston showed that the Sens still have signs of life. Coupled with the stellar play of 24-year old netminder Brian Elliott (31GP, 16-8-3, 2.77GAA), this allowed the Sens to finish one game above .500 for the year.

Offseason Ins: Alexei Kovalev (MTL: 78GP, 26G-39A-65PTS, 74PIM)

Offseason Outs: Alex Auld (to DAL), Brendan Bell (to STL)

What Makes Them Tick: Nearing 40 years of age, Cory Clouston may be one of the youngest coaches in the NHL. Don’t let that fool you for one minute that he is inexperienced. He is a two-time WHL coach of the year, and CHL coach of the year in 2005 with the Kootenay Ice. After posting a respectable 19-11-4 record after taking over for Craig Hartsburg mid-season, his first full year behind the bench will bring a new style of hockey in Canada’s capital. Instead of the defensive-first scheme used in previous seasons, Clouston employs an attacking style in order to create turnovers. Don’t look for this team to rely on Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatley to carry the load this season. Alexei Kovalev was brought in from Montreal to add more offensive depth to Ottawa. Expect more secondary scoring to come from players like Chris Campoli (13PTS in 25G w/OTT), Brian Lee (53GP, 2G-11A-13PTS, 33PIM) and Nick Foligno (who I will touch on a bit later). Will the 2009 trade deadline acquisition of Pascal Leclare (45-55-10, 2.82GAA in 125 career games) from Columbus really be the answer for Ottawa’s goaltending woes for the past six years? He hasn’t played a game in 5 months since the trade, and he’s battling for the starting job with Elliott.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The one issue that can make Ottawa go boom already has, and his name is Dany Heatley. After four years and a Stanley Cup finals appearance in Canada’s capital, he wants out because he’s being utilized the wrong way. The trade to Edmonton was on the table, but he utilized his NTC because he wanted to see options from other teams. Various reports suggest Heatley has become a locker room cancer, and how he’s handled himself this off-season seems to back up those allegations. He didn’t even show up for linemate Jason Spezza’s wedding in Ottawa over the summer. What does that tell you about being a good teammate? It will become more interesting to see what happens if he is dealt or not before the opening of training camp. He says he will report if he is not moved, but will he really?

Player to Watch: Nick Foligno has the skills and the pedigree to become a perennial 20 goal scorer. His father, Mike, was known for his offensive numbers and subsequent leaping abilities back in the 1980’s for the Sabres. Although he leaped to pay tribute to his father after scoring his 1st NHL goal, the only way he leaps now is in his goal song - Van Halen’s “Jump”. Foligno scored 17 goals last season, the highest total from somebody not named Dany, Daniel, or Jason. As outlined earlier, Clouston is utilizing an attacking style system this season, so expect plenty of forechecking. This should benefit gritty players like Foligno. If Nick is anything like his father, the grit should translate into his first 20-goal season. Senators fans, get ready to ‘leap’ out of your seats for #71.

Prediction: At the end of the season, Daniel Alfredsson said “I don’t believe we are in a rebuilding mode. I think the whole organization (believes) we're not that far off.”. Somebody should tell “Alfie” that the Ottawa Senators are in a rebuilding mode for this season. A new coach in his first full season with a new system, an All-Star with a Napoleon Complex (granted, he’s a 6’4” Napoleon), and a goal crease that hasn’t seen a legitimate number 1 since Patrick Lalime are all the signals you need. Ottawa will miss the playoffs again this year, but will still have plenty of firepower to be reckoned with as a spoiler.

NORTHWEST DIVISION PREVIEW

2009-08-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

We start our whirlwind tour through the league out West. We seem to have a two horse race between the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary flames, with both teams going defensive in the offseason. We will break it down by first looking at last season’s biggest accomplishments or, what we like to call, the Rear View Mirror. Then we move along to the Ins and Outs; what each team picked up (with some key stats) and what they lost (the one key stat that will be missed) in the offseason. We have to throw in What Makes Them Tick (the Strength of the team) and What Could Make Them Go Boom (what could derail them from finishing below what I predict.) Finally we finish it off with the Player to Watch and Predictions for the upcoming season. Now, let’s look at the teams of the Northwest Division from top to bottom, according to my picks.

1) VANCOUVER CANUCKS:
Rear View Mirror: The 2008-09 Canucks exceeded expectations and rode a hot goalie to a 100 point season, a Northwest Division crown, and an appearance in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Led in points by the Sedin Twins, the offense also saw career years from Alex Burrows (28 goals, 51 pts) and Ryan Kessler (26, 59). The backbone of the team last season was of course all world goalie Robert Luongo. Though Big Lou missed two months with a groin injury (Canucks 9-14 in those games), he still went 33-13-7 and finished 5th in both GAA (2.34) and save percentage (.920).

Offseason Ins: RW Mikeal Samuelsson (DET: 81 GP–19 G–40 P), C Cody Hodgson (OHL: 53 GP–43 G–92 P, D Aaron Rome (AHL: 48 GP-28 P-153 PIM), G Andrew Raycroft (COL: 12-16-0, 3.14 GAA, .892 Save%, D Christian Ehrhoff (SJ: 77GP-8 G-42 P), D Mathieu Schneider (ATL/MON: 67 GP-9 G-32 P), D Brad Lukowich (58 GP - 8 P)

Offseason Outs: D Mattias Ohlund (82 GP), C Mats Sundin (8 Playoff Pts), G Jason LaBarbera (.915 Save%), LW Taylor Pyatt (86 Hits)

What Makes Them Tick: The Vancouver Canucks begin and end with team captain Roberto Luongo, 155 wins in his 3-years since being plucked from South Florida. This year will be no different as the Canucks will win the division if their workhorse is in net for the majority of the games. General Manager Mike Gillis could also sleep a little easier after the Canucks signed both the Sedin Twins to 5-year extensions on the first day of Free Agency. The Sedin Twins stat lines in their 8 seasons with the Canucks; 288 goals, 634 assists, and 922 points in 1,288 games combined. Needless to say, the team depends heavily on the Sedin’s and added Mikael Samuelsson from the Red Wings to play with them on the top power play unit. What also makes them tick is the solid shutdown defensive tandem of often injured but talented Sami Salo and rugged shot tracker Willie Mitchell. When healthy, combined with great goaltending, this pairing is one of the toughest to score upon.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: The one player this talented team is missing is a power play quarterback or that Minute Muncher top defenseman. Alex Elder or Kevin Bieksa could develop into that role as both saw significant time on the PP last season, but both did not put up the kind of numbers needed to be a quarterback. That is why late in the offseason Mike Gillis tried to add more depth by acquiring both Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Luckowich from the Sharks and signing veteran power play stallworth Mathieu Schneider. But overall even with those depth acquistions the departure of Mattias Ohlund to Tampa, puts more pressure on both Bieksa and Elder who will be counted on more heavily along the backline and their continued development offensively could be the difference between a division crown and 6th or 7th seed in the West.

Player to Watch: Cody Hodgson has already been named the OHL's most outstanding player and Hockey News #2 rated prospect. Because of his age, Hodgson cannot be sent to the AHL, so now comes his time to showcase his skills in the NHL.

Predictions: With the maturation of players like Kesler, Burrows and even Mason Raymond, combined with the steady veterans Pavol Demitra, Samuelsson, and big body Steve Bernier, Roberto Luongo finally has some protection, making this the most deep offensive team he has played for in front. I, like many, expect big things from Cody Hodgson and believe in the development of Bieksa and Edler. Overall, with great goaltending and a more balanced scoring attack, this team should win the Northwest division for the 3rd time under Alain Vigneault.

2) CALGARY FLAMES:
Rear View Mirror: The Flames had a big time trade deadline acquisition of Olli Jokinen, which saw him and the team get hot (12 pts in first 8 games with Flames), and then fade out of first just to get bounced out by the Blackhawks in the first round. Jarome Iginla ended up disappointed, by his standards, coming off a 50-goal 2007-08 with 35 goals last season. Mikka Kiprusoff lead the league with 45 wins but that was due more to his league high 76 games played than his play as he was 32nd in GAA (2.84).

Offseason Ins: D Jay Bouwmeester (FLA: 82 GP-15 G-42 P), RW Fredrik Sjostrom (NYR: 79 GP-7G-3 SHP), C Mikael Backlund (WHL: 28 GP-12 G-30 P)

Offseason Outs: LW Mike Cammalleri (39 G), D Adrian Auccoin 22:17 TOI), LW Todd Bertuzzi (44 Pts), D Jim Vandermeer (85 Hits), LW Andre Roy (83 PIM), C Wayne Priemau (53 % Faceoff)

What Makes them Tick: With the sign and trade on draft day for Jay Bouwmeester, combined with Dion Phaneuf, the Flames have two top defenseman to rival any in the league. Having these two workhorses, that together played 4335 minutes last season, should lower the league high 2155 shots Kiprusoff faced last season. Offensively, a full season of having the top line combination of Iginla and Jokinen will be a strength for this team. As we saw last season, when these guys click, they produce big numbers.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Though they made one of the biggest trade deadline moves, what caused them to fade down the stretch was the lack of depth within the organization. With the big financial move towards Bouwmeester, this again puts the Flames in a precarious place if a big injury hits this squad. Their depth has not improved; in fact, it has gotten worse with the subtractions of Cammalleri and Bertuzzi up front and Adrian Auccoin and Jordan Leopold on the back line.

Player to Watch: Rene Bourque was never drafted even after a successful 4-year run at the University of Wisconsin and being named the 2005 AHL Rookie-of-the-Year. In 2006, after a successful rookie season, Bourque had a scary injury when his jugular vein was cut by an errant skate. Then, on July 1, 2008 his Flames career began with a disappointing first season scoring of only 21 goals in 58 games. When healthy it is proven that Bourque is the secondary scorer that the Flames desperately need to balance out the offense.

Predictions: When the Flames made the bold move to acquire Jay Bouwmeester at the draft, they followed the successful post lockout model: using two defenseman that can take up a lot of minutes so as to avoid the expenses of acquiring a decent 5th, 6th or even 7th defenseman. This, like I said, has been successful and even though Jay Bo has never played a meaningful game in March in his career, experts cannot forget that this is one of the best defenseman to play the game today. I also like the hiring/poaching of Brent Sutter to join the family business, as he had the notorious defensive Devils playing an up tempo style. I just don’t like the depth of this team enough to pick them ahead of the deeper Canucks because, in a long 82-game grind, you need to rely on a plethora of players and this team does not have that.

3) EDMONTON OILERS:
Rear View Mirror: The Craig MacTavish era ended with a third straight early golf trip and most of it was due to lack of scoring and sophomore mini slumps. Talented forwards Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano followed up productive rookie seasons with subpar seasons, and big time forwards Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff and Dustin Penner all had disappointing offensive seasons. The biggest bright spot for the Oilers was team MVP Dwayne Roloson who once started 36 straight games for them and ended up with 28-24-9 record, 2.77 GAA and .915 save percentage.

Offseason Ins: G Nikolai Khabibulin (CHI: 25-8-7, 2.33 GAA, .919 Save%), C Mike Comrie (NYI/OTT: 63 GP. 10G-17A-27P)

Offseason Outs: G Dwayne Roloson (28 wins), LW Ales Kotalik (11 Pts in 19 games with Oilers)

What Makes Them Tick: Two straight off-seasons the Oilers acquired Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Vishnovsky. Those two are steady pillars to build a defense around. Combine them with offensive threats like Tom Gilbert (45 pts) and Denis Grebeshkov (39 pts) and you have yourself a pretty fearsome top 4. Vishnovsky had 31 points in his first 50 games as an Oiler before losing his season due to shoulder surgery. Having the former Los Angeles King healthy will be a big boost to a team that depends on a lot of their defense for scoring.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: On paper their offense looks speedy, sensational and scary, but last year that paper got tossed in the recycling bin. The big threats did not live up to their potential shown in the fact that two of their top four scorers were defensemen. More is to be expected of the top 6 forwards this season as the Oilers struck out in trying to acquire/beg Dany Heatly to come booster their offense. This will make or break the Oilers that seem to be on the cusp of making the final playoff spot in the West.

Player to Watch: Dustin Penner was signed away from the, then Stanley Cup Champions, Anaheim Ducks with a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet. Then came the expectations to match the 29 goals he had for the Ducks. Two years into the contract the former Maine Black Bear has 40 goals and 84 points, last year he was put in Coach MacTavish dog house and relegated to fourth line duty. Now, with new coach Pat Quinn, Penner will have a chance to play on the top line with Hemsky and Horcoff. With that speed on his line, Penner should finally take his place as a dominant power forward in this league. If not, look for him to be trade bait or buyout bait at the end of the season.

Predictions: New life this season for the Oilers as Pat Quinn and Tom Renney replace the defensive minded MacT. Although this team would have been a lock to make the playoffs, had they convinced Dany Heatley to pack his things and head west, they will be improved nonetheless and I will be interested to see how Nikolai Khabibulin does in a non contract year as the primary number one goalie not sharing time.

4) MINNESOTA WILD:
Rearview Mirror: “As the World (of Gaborik) Turns” was the theme of the season for the Wild last year. When healthy, this team was a threat for both the playoffs and more but, when injured, they sputtered offensively and relied heavily on their spectacular goaltending. Marian Gaborik, the face of the origination for 8 seasons, only played 17 games but amassed 23 points as the Wild finished a mere 2 points out of the playoffs. Overshadowing the Gaborik “Is he going to play?” question was an MVP season for goalie Niklas Backstrom. The undrafted free agent finished third in the Vezina voting and finished with a career high 37 wins and was top 5 in both GAA (2.33) and save percentage (.923). He also received a four-year contract extension to remain the last line of defense for the Wild. Also breaking out for the Wild was 4th-year forward Mikko Koivu, who led the Wild in total points (67), power play points (26), and shorthanded points (6). He even came back quickly from a horrific knee injury when many thought he was out for the year. Only missing 6 games he came back to score 5 points in the last 3 games for the playoff push. Now that is a leader.

Offseason Ins: Martin Havlat (CHI: 29 G-77 P), Kyle Brodziak (EDM: 11 G-27 P), Greg Zanon (NSH: 11 P-237 BkS), Shane Hnidy (BOS: 12 P-76 BkS)

Offseason Outs: RW Marian Gaborik (13 G), D Martin Skoula (81 GP), LW Stephane Veilleux (13 G), D Marc-Andre Bergeron (18 PP), D Kurtis Foster (+7), C Dan Fritsche (13 P)

What Makes Them Tick: For the first time in the franchises 8 years of existence, the cornerstones of Marian Gaborik, GM Doug Risegrough and Coach Jaques Lemaire will not be there when the puck drops on October 3rd. These positions have been replaced by a speedy, but often injured, Martin Havlat, legacy Chuck Fletcher and upstart Todd Richards and a more offensive approach. This will start from the defensive end where offensive minded Brent Burns, Kim Johnsson and Marek Zidlicky roam. A first line combination of Havlat, Koivu, and Brunette should shine on the special teams, a place where the Wild have always had success (9th overall last year). Combine that with a penalty kill that finished second last season and now includes Greg Zanon with his 237 block shots.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: With the new regime moving towards a more offensive style, do the Wild have enough offense to create wins? A big piece of the offense, Martin Havlat will be asked to do something he has never done in his career, play back-to-back full 82-game season. The closest he came to this was 2001-02 playing in 72 games after a 73 game rookie campaign. If they are missing the point per game Havlat, then it will be Gaborik déjà vu all over again for the offense that was led by 37-year-old Owen Nolan (25 goals) and 35-year-old Andrew Brunette (22 goals).

Player to Watch: Former first round pick Brent Burns looks to forget a year that saw him injured and bouncing back and forth from forward to defenseman to build on his rising status. Burns, a converted forward burst onto the scene as defenseman with 15 goals in 2007-8 and was named as the best defenseman at the 2008 World Championship. Now, with Richards employing a system that allows the defense to join the rush and fully recover from concussion issues, Burns is primed to pick up where he left off and take his spot as a top defender in the NHL.

Predictions: With so much change around this team, it is hard not to think that they will take some time to get comfortable in the new system. It has been done before for this organization, but they are depending on a forward that, though talented, is often injured and has left them on the cusp of a playoff berth. This season will not be any different, but, hey, at least they will continue the string of selling out every game in franchise which is good for the health of the league.

5) COLORADO AVALANCHE:
Rearview Mirror: For a team that has been a perennial playoff contender and won 2 Stanley Cups since moving to the Mile High City, a last place finish was not a surprise, The Avs were missing their franchise player and captain, Joe Sakic, and up and coming star, Paul Stastny, for most of the season. They scored a league low 190 goals, and their goaltending was one of the worst in the league (253 goals against).

Offseason Ins: D Kyle Quincey (LAK: 4 G, 38 P, 27 PP), D Tom Preissing (LAK: 5 PP in 22 GP), G Craig Anderson (FLA: 15-7-5, 2.71 GAA, .924 Save%), Matt Duchene (OHL: 31 G-79 P)

Offseason Outs: C Joe Sakic (Hall of Fame, too many stats to write), RW Ryan Smyth (59 Pts), C Ian Laperriere (103 Hits), G Andrew Raycroft (12 W), C Tyler Arnason (22 Pts)

What Makes Them Tick: The Avs believe they drafted a superstar in third overall pick Matt Duchene. Unless he comes to camp and looks out of place he should start the season as an 18-year-old rookie. Duchene, who at the last minute got some buzz as being taken #1 overall, is a talented forward. He, along with a healthy Paul Stastny, gives the team a two top skilled centers. The Avs field a good top line with forwards Wojtek Wolski (42 pts last season) and Milan Hejduk (8th year with 20 or more goals). They also picked up talented defenseman, Kyle Quincey, and his power play prowess in the Ryan Smyth trade to the Kings.

What Could Make Them Go Boom: Their top 7 defenseman’s average age is 30, led by veteran Adam Foote who is 37. Their only defensemen under 30 are Quincey (23) and John-Michael Liles (28). Though tough, this veteran defense could be a problem down the road. They traded away their second leading scorer in the off-season, so how a team that was last in scoring improve, will be another big question mark for the Avs.

Player to Watch: Craig Anderson will finally get his chance to prove he can be a starting goalie in the NHL. A 3rd round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2001, he saw his first significant playing time last year for the Florida Panthers. The 28-year old made the most of his 31 games played, posting a 15-7-5 record, 2.71 GAA and .924 save percentage. Anderson kept the Panthers in a close playoff race and even set an NHL record for most saves in a shutout, when he stopped 53 shots versus the Islanders in 2007-08. The Park Ridge, Illinoisian will be the focal point even if this team improves or not.

Predictions: It is hard to go through what this organization went through this off-season both on and off the ice and not continue to be near the bottom of the standings. They hired unknown Joe Sacco, after attempting to get Patrick Roy to take the job, for their third coach in three years. They also fired GM Francois Giguere and replaced him with previous Assistant General Manager Greg Sherman. But the hardest person to replace will be Joe Sakic, the 20-year veteran, all with the Colorado/Quebec franchise, and one of the classiest players to have played in the league, having left as the eighth all-time leading scorer with 1,641 in 1,378 career games. He will not only be missed by the Avalanche but also by the entire league.

"Edited by Laura Wald www.TheGreenLife.us"

A Month of Vacation

2009-08-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

So I looked at the Blog today and realized I had not written anything in a month. A lot has to do with some much needed vacation traveling for me. Well I am back just like Brett Favre! Want to introduce also to the Pucking Awesome Nation a new voice, a great hockey mind named A.J. Bloomquist, I know you all will enjoy reading his intake. Coming next week is the First Annual Pucking Awesome Preview edition! Below is the schedule so check back and enjoy the preview of this upcoming NHL season.

AUGUST 23rd – Northwest

AUGUST 30th – Northeast

SEPTEMBER 6th – Pacific

SEPTEMBER 13th – Southeast

SEPTEMBER 20th – Atlantic

SEPTEMBER 27th – Central

OCTOBER 2nd – Stanley Cup Picks

NHL Schedules

2009-07-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Of the two big NHL scheduling events last Wednesday, the first announcement was the worst kept secret: the annual Winter Classic will be held at Boston’s Fenway Park. This outdoor festivity has quickly become a huge success for the NHL, as represented by great TV ratings and pure excitement around the New Year’s event. Much of the debate has not been about the venue, as I think it should be, but about the teams that are involved. Some experts think that two-time Hart trophy winner, Alex Ovechkin, fresh off of his dominating regular season and playoffs, should be the showcase of this spectacle. I do not agree. I don’t agree for the simple reason that it has already been seen that people watch no matter who is playing. In 2008, a matchup that featured the big “rivals”, Penguins and Sabres, drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share for NBC. Last season, when two actual division rivals faced off, the Red Wings and Blackhawks earned a 2.9 overnight rating and a 6 share. These are very impressive numbers for a sport drowning in obscurity. I can back up the league for once in their selection of two major markets, Boston and Philadelphia, to participate. Hockey is very important in these cities and deserves to be seen by its large number of fans residing there. Besides, we all know the NHL will be pushing for a Rangers game at Yankee Stadium next year, most likely against the Capitals and Ovechkin, so this is Bean-town and Philly’s year.

Which brings me to the venues the league has selected this year. I understand they are trying to lure fans into ball parks with rich history, but they are limiting themselves by sheer numbers alone. I think they had it right the first year with a NHL-record crowd of 71,217 in Ralph Wilson Stadium, a football stadium seating almost 74,000 people. Now, all of sudden, they are limiting themselves to the only 30,000-40,000 fans that can fit into a baseball stadium. I am not a marketing genius by any means, but I know that leaves about 40,000 less tickets they can sell. The profit loss is obvious, but perhaps even more important is the “emotional” statistic of losing possible future fans for life that could have emerged from such a unique game experience. I heard that Beaver Stadium at Penn State (107,282 capacity), TCF Bank Stadium in Minnesota (50,000), and even Fed Ex Field (91,704) were considered, but the final vote went to the Green Monster….? The NHL has to get off this baseball kick and go back to football fields and get more people and fans involved in this wonderful idea.

The second event after the big non-surprise announcement was the releasing of the NHL regular season schedules. Other than the Chris Pronger debut as a Flyer, I have certain matchups circled on my calendar the first month of the season. I will be watching the NHL Premier Games in Stockholm (Wings vs. Blues) and Helsinki (Blackhawks vs. Panthers) mostly to see how the Blues and Panthers have improved in the off-season. No, but really, what I’m really watching for is how will the Red Wings bounce back? How will Hossa fit in with his new team and how the world perceives the NHL this year? In October, of course, there are a lot of debuts with new teams (Tavares, Hedman, Gaborik, and the whole Canadiens) and players facing their old teams (Hossa on Oct 8, Pronger on Oct. 10, Kovalev on Oct. 17, Gaborik on Oct. 30). We even have two nights where all 30 NHL teams will be in action on October 3 and 24, and this in just the first month of the season! We should be in for a great year.

A Captain's Legacy

2009-07-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

On a nice summer day-yes we finally have those in central Connecticut- I was sitting by the pool reading the magazine every hockey fan should have a subscription to, “The Hockey News,” and I saw an interesting blurb that needs to be told in more detail. I credit “The Hockey News,” “The Windsor Star” and ESPN.com Page 2 write Gare Joyce for quotes and inspiration about this heartwarming story.

The Windsor Spitfires won this year’s CHL Memorial Cup, the first in their 34-year run in the OHL, and when captain and defenseman Harry Young lifted the big trophy over his head (yes, this time it did not break), he lifted it with the help of the spirit of Mickey Renaud.

Renaud, a fifth round pick of the Calgary Flames, was a “hard to miss 6-feet-2, 210 pounds, blond-haired, smiling, outgoing, always saying hello first” player and that personality made him a perfect fit as captain of the Windsor Spitfires. A teammate they called “mousey” was nothing of the sorts both on and off the ice. Then on February 16th, a day that started like any other, Renaud invited some of his teammates over for breakfast and suddenly collapsed at his parent’s kitchen table. Later that day he was pronounced dead at the tender age of 19. Later, it was diagnosed that he died of a genetic heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The season took an unexpected turn for a bunch of teenagers who dream of making it to the big leagues and who youthfully think that they are indestructible on and off the ice. Their leader, their rock, was all of a sudden gone, and it was devastating. The team was forced to move on because that is what Mickey would have wanted. But he was never forgotten, and the team took inspiration from their late captain.

The wins kept piling up for the Spitfires, including a division crown and run to the OHL championship, one they celebrated with a Renaud jersey for the team picture with the trophy. As written in the “The Windsor Star” about the Memorial Cup, the tournament to crown the champion of the CHL, “The club also had new undershirts made for the tournament with Renaud's No. 18 on the sleeves and Whatever it Takes written on the back.” Whatever it takes, a motto fit for the team that has already been through so much together, for a team that has seen the darkness and wants to move towards the light of a better day.

They started 0-2 in this round robin tournament; no team has ever won the Memorial Cup starting the series with 2 loses. Both were tough one goal losses, the first one in OT. Then came the “whatever it takes” nothing to lose attitude for the team from Windsor. They went on to turn their tournament around winning the next two games, setting up a big matchup with the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs. After taking an early 2-0 lead in the first, they gave up 2 goals in the second, sending the nail biter to OT. While in overtime, Adam Henrique won the third straight win or go home game for the Spitfires.

Then came what this team had been fighting for, a chance at the Championship, a chance to win one for their leader with a matchup vs. WHL champion Kelowna Rockets. The game’s outcome was never in doubt in a 4-1 win, and once again during the celebration Renaud’s jersey found its way on the ice for the team picture. As tournament MVP Taylor Hall summed it up, “"Maybe Mickey was watching over us and wanted to teach us a lesson."

The lesson learned was to win a championship in sports, a team needs heart, determination and resilience. The Windsor Spitfires embodied all these qualities, especially the resilience needed to bounce back from tragedy. This was a team that only 3-months prior lost so much, and had so much to overcome, but kept at what was important to their leader and did “whatever it takes” to honor the legacy of their captain, Mickey Renaud.

Free Agent Frenzy

2009-07-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Let the games begin! The opening of the NHL free agency saw many teams move forward towards the 2009 -10 NHL season while some (Detroit and Los Angeles) just sat on the bench with David Spade. The main trend of yesterday’s contract was not in dollar signs but in the years given out. With the national 401K packages going down in flames, it seems like being a 30 year-old hockey player is the best retirement package. Well, let’s break it down Pucking-Awesome style.

Best Signing:

This one is going to be the most debated for sure. We had some huge moves when the bell rang at high noon, but I have to go with the 12-year gamble of the Chicago Blackhawks with Marian Hossa. It took me a while to be okay with giving a 30-year-old a TWELVE YEAR deal, but I finally get it. General Managers very rarely last 12-years at the same place, so if you are Dale Tallon why not give the guy that was on the team that beat you in the Western Conference Finals that many years. I think the biggest reason I like this deal is for the amount of cap hit per season. For Hossa, a contract at $5.23 is a steal. Obviously, Hossa who took a one-year risk to win a cup, was willing to pass up millions per season for the security and the Blackhawks took the risk that I think is worth taking. With the reasonable cap hit, this will allow them to re-work contracts for both cornerstones Kane and Toews.

Worst Signing:

This one was tough also, only because I had to shake my head at A LOT of the big signings yesterday, so I am going with a whole team: the Montreal Canadiens. This team has done nothing right since being knocked out as the number one seed in the 2008 playoffs. Mike Cammaleri was their big signing with a 5-year/$30 million contract, and yes he had a huge year playing alongside some top notch centers in Calgary, but this guy is a step down from mainstay Alexei Kovalev. The other big signing was undersized Brian Gionta for 5-year/$25 million; he is a system player who is living off of a one year post lockout and almost scoring 50 goals. And don’t get me started on Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek for a combined $16 million. This a team that had a lot to do on their off-season checklist and, so far, this one time contender is looking more and more like a fraud with no chemistry.

Underrated signing:

Someone who is not at the top of the free agency list, but whom I think will change the culture of the team, is John Madden. The Blackhawks, with the Hossa move, have said this is their year to make a run and Madden is the type of player that will give the Blackhawks the much needed toughness and veteran cup winning presence. They also got him to sign a one year deal which not only helps with the cap but puts up the front of "prove you still got it old lad" after a subpar year last season.

Get back to you signing:

The Rangers cleared caps space on the eve of free agency to make a big splash, but struck out on Hossa and with the trading for Heatley so late Wednesday that they made a belly flop into the pool and signed the risky Marian Gaborik to a 5-year/$37.5 million contract. The $7.5 million annually was the biggest per year contract given out yesterday. Look at the Czech's goals numbers and you know he is worth the big contract. Look at the Rangers offensive numbers, and it seems like the right fit, but can he stay healthy? This could be a huge signing for the Rangers and a huge move for Gaborik to be on a main stage. So, we'll revisit this one in a year or two and see how it works out.

Draft Recap

2009-06-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Draft came and went with some big and bold moves, and great sound bites from the most entertaining GM of the league, Brian Burke. Hockey fans have to admit it was like a great reality show to watch Burke first try to trade up and get Tavares and then try to acquire Luke’s brother Brayden. With free agency on the horizon, let’s reminisce about the winners and losers of this year’s NHL Draft.

Winners:
New York Islanders: They did the right thing in picking John Tavares, did anyone really believe the rumors of them selecting Matt Duchene? I'm sure Duchene will be a good player, but to see the way the Coliseum erupted when reacting to the selection shows you that this once prominent franchise has made the right move not only off the ice but on it as well. Continuing the Las Vegas theme from the award show, Garth Snow showed us all his best poker face and I liked it. I think that's why I have them as winners, in an era where NFL 1st picks get signed the day before the draft, and NBA GM’s don’t keep it a secret at all, I enjoyed the drama and felt so excited for Tavares when his name was called. This is how the draft should go.

Legacy players: I still am waiting for the family feud between the Sutter brothers and Dineen’s or Howe’s, but this year’s draft had some nice legacy names attached to it. Ryan Bourque was selected in the 3rd round by the Rangers, he is the son of legendary defenseman Raymond Bourque. You would have thought it was father’s day in the NHL with the amount of former players who saw their sons get drafted in Montreal. Ulf Samuelsson (Philip, 61st to Penguins), Ray Ferraro (Landon , 32nd to Red Wings), Steve Smith (Baron, 188th to Maple Leafs), Mike Foligno (Markus, 104th to Sabres) and Brent Ashton (Carter, 29th to Lightning) were among the dads who saw their son’s NHL dreams begin. So many other bloodlines were prominent including brothers, grandsons, and nephews. You have to love a sport that promotes family.

Philadelphia Flyers: This was a team that has had their Stanley Cup dreams dashed two years in a row by the Penguins dynamic duo of Crosby and Malkin. So what do they do in the off-season, but pick up the best defenseman made available. I agree with all the experts that they gave a lot for a 34-year old d-man only signed for one more year, but as my main man Brian Burke put it in an interview I read; “They did give up a lot, but how do you get a [future] Hall of Famer without giving up a lot?” The answer is, “You don't.” This is an obvious go for it all now for the Orange and Black. So many times you see a GM’s desperation at the trade deadline, where they end up mortgaging the future for a couple months with a rent-a-player. This move not only gives the Flyers a full season to get Pronger under contract, but also puts them in a position to be legitimate Cup Contenders.

Losers:
Calgary Flames: Another bold move for a defenseman by a GM, but this one was not economically smart. I do agree that acquiring Jay Boumeester puts the Flames defense at the top of the charts, but also puts them at the top of salaries. In the age of the salary cap, the days of having any player you want at any salary you want is a dream. The Flames lost the ability to make this move when they traded for the big contract of Jokinen. However, Jokinen does only have one year left on his deal which could make him tradeable. I just don’t see how the Flames will be able to field a legit complete NHL roster with the amount of cap space left if they sign JayBo. The Senators and Lightning have shown the league that when you put most of your cap towards a couple of players disaster strikes. I also can’t believe Jay Bouwmeester would put a cap on himself, by only being paid the same amount of money as Dion Phaneuf.

Montreal Canadiens: You draft a French-Canadian in the first round only to make your fans cheer your pick. You make no movement towards acquiring players and thus continue the downfall of this great franchise. Yet, this could all change when July 1st hits. This team has loads of cap space left and a lot of roster decisions, but I expected bigger things from the host city.

Dany Heatley: Even Jay Bouwmeester, who said he wanted to go to free agency, got traded but Heatley did not. With all 30 GM’s in the same room negotiating by leaning in and whispering to each other, this shows you how dark of a corner Senators General Manager, Bryan Murray, was backed into by his star winger. No one will deny his talent and dynamic scoring ability, but his contract and bonus due is making it hard for him to be traded. Heatley would have been traded if a team felt he was worth the risk, so now it seems more likely that he will have to play out his time in an uncomfortable position. That could all change, though, if the Rangers are willing to give up more than their trash for this All-Star. Something to definitely look for as free agency starts this week.

NHL Draft Buzz

2009-06-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

This is a big weekend for the NHL, as general managers all meet to select the future of their franchises or make moves to impact the current roster. How can you not be overwhelmed with joy upon hearing your GM call out the name of some 18 year-old kid that could be the next big thing, or in a couple of years be taking your order at the local Tim Hortons. So, now to my Hat Trick. This week I change it up to the three most underrated story lines not getting the publicity surrounding this weekend’s draft.

1) The Ducks Defense: At the trade deadline, the Ducks traded some offense for defense knowing full well they had some major decisions to make on their once feared backline. Most of the decisions hinge on if captain Scott Niedermayer’s to play a 17th season or ride into the sunset and check into Springfield Retirement Castle with Grandpa Simpson. Most experts predict if Nierdmayer returns it will ultimately cause the Ducks to move Pronger because of the cap. This move would not only be the best defenseman changing teams this off-season (sorry JayBo), but it would also allow the Ducks to finally trade for either some much needed scoring depth or young defensive prospects. Needless to say, this one decision could affect a lot of teams' plans.

2) Lightning Down: This team has gone from perennial Stanley Cup contender to joke of the league as quickly as Lindsay Lohan went from child actress to teen junkie. This organization has as many problems as the Lohan clan too! They have owners fighting so badly that the boys have to be called to the principal’s office, gave out ridiculous contracts last off-season, and have a number one goalie with concussion problems. Screw Jillian the Bachelorette, this team should have a reality show. Oh, and did I mention that Vincent Lecavalier, with his $85 million contract, is at the center of the feuding millionaires. Like Pronger, if this dynamic, young and locked up franchise player becomes available he will be the best forward off-season move. We already saw what Mr. Hossa could do on a new team.

3) Free Agent Frenzy: Ok, enough about trades and crazy owners (looking at you Mr. Balsillie) Let’s look at the one free agent, not named Hossa or Bouwmeester, that could impact a team tremendously next season. Maybe this pick is because of what Michael Ryder did in Boston once he escaped the pressure of Montreal, but I like what a team would be getting with signing Alex Tanguay. This former first round pick and Stanley Cup champion has scored 20 or more goals in 5 of the 9 seasons he has played. As a skilled forward he has compiled 41 points in an injury plagued 50 games showing that, when healthy, he can produce on a top line. The statement “when healthy” also will allow a team to sign him to an incentive laden contract which will help from a salary cap perspective.

Ruth's Chris Steaks

2009-06-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

First off from the desk of Pucking Awesome, I want to congratulate the city of Pittsburgh on their Stanley Cup Championship. Also, a special congrats to Marian Hossa, who got to watch the cup being raised from a front row seat twice! I know this is awful of me to say but I did laugh a little, actually a lot, when I saw the shot of him on the bench looking like a kid who had his kickball stolen by the neighborhood bully. Now comes the fun part for ever sports fan…the off-season. This is the time when all teams, except the Islanders, have the chance to improve their team. Well, the Islanders do have the first overall pick in the NHL Entry draft in Montreal on June 26th, so maybe they can improve.

On June 26th, the general managers will all get together to officially start the off-season and there should be some prominent names floating around the stands of the Bell Center. The number one name of course will be the 25-year-old franchise defenseman who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. The Florida Panthers have already publically come out and say they are shopping the rights of Jay Bouwmeester to the highest bidder, in hopes to get something for their all-star defenseman before he walks for nothing on July 1st. The new practice of trading a free agent before July 1st has been seen only a few times, most notably with the Philadelphia Flyers trading a 1st round pick to the Nashville Predators for the negotiation rights of Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen. I, for one, am in favor of this practice. With the growing nature of players leaving town regularly, why not get something for leaving? From the other side, if you target that person to be your top priority and the piece needed to complete the team, why not be proactive and give something to get something. That is the idea behind the trade deadline, which all hockey fans will admit is a national holiday for the sport, so why not bring this concept two times a year?

I have to take time to call out one person that has nothing to do with the NHL, but a lot to do with my playoff pool, which I finished a respectable 5th out of 171. One year ago my friend Adam won the whole thing and thus promised me and another person a steak dinner at Ruth’s Chris. I have never been to that place and now, a year later, still no steak dinner. I hope you guys have better friends than that. Lastly, on another personal note, I want to congratulate the Cyclones on a great Roller Hockey Championship, after two straight finals losses, and even with their backup goalie playing during the championship game, they pulled through to win it all.

Crosby vs Ovechkin

2009-06-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

As the Finals wind down enjoy this video edited by myself and Chase Decker celebrating the exicting matchup between these two superstars

Second Chances

2009-06-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

So three games in and we've learned that Henrik Zetterberg is one of the top shutdown forwards in this league. He has totally shutdown what was an extremely hot Sidney Crosby in these finals. The bounces started going the way of the Penguins at home so much that the league allowed them to play with 6 players on the ice. The Red Wings struggles on the PK have been eminent, as they have given up at least one power-play goal in 15 of 19 playoff games, including a franchise-high 13 straight at one point. This is how the Penguins will get back into the series if they continue to take advantage of these opportunities on the man advantage. Yet, don’t underestimate that the Red Wings will most likely get back leading scorer Pavel Datsyuk. The Hart Trophy finalist has not played since Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, and his return would alleviate the stress put on the aforementioned Zetterberg, who logged an amazing 24:19 of ice time in Game 3.

I also have to make mention of a report that much maligned goalie Ray Emery is returning to the NHL next season, and most likely to the city of brotherly love. With second chances given every day in the world of sports to people that most likely do not deserve them, why not this guy? Yes, he set a junior club record for fighting, has been suspended numerous times, and pretty much has been exiled out of the NHL, but you can’t deny that this kid has talent and a drive for the game. He tried out for 8 different junior teams before being named Rookie of the year, then moved to the AHL where the suspensions started piling up, and still was named to the AHL All-Rookie team. He then went on to have success with the Senators as they advanced to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals and holds a career 18-12 playoff record with a 2.46 GAA and 0.904 save percentage. If anything, it will be another great storyline headed into the off-season and beyond to see how Razor reacts to his second chance.

Stanley Cup Rematch

2009-05-28T21:08:00.001-07:00

Anyone else feeling déjà vu? It's like I'm Bill Murray waking up to watch the same finals over again, but this time Marian Hossa is wearing a different jersey. So, we have the same match up for the Cup that we had last season; the Penguins claim they have learned from their losing experience last year, and the defending champs are trying to become the first repeat champions since the Red Wings, who did it in 1997 and 1998.

Speaking of back-to-back, everyone has been making mention of this being the first Stanley Cup rematch since the 1984 Cup Finals when the upstart Edmonton Oilers ended the dynasty run of the New York Islanders and started their own. It's hard not to compare the Oilers of that age to the Penguins of now. Both are lead by the dominant saviors of the NHL (Gretzky and Crosby) and a great sidekick (Messier and Malkin).
It is also hard not to think that the busy schedule will help the younger and seemingly healthy players. Overall, it will challenge the depth of the Red Wings since they are missing two big pieces in Captain Nicklas Lidstrom and leading scorer Pavel Datsyuk. Though, if the end of the Blackhawks series has shown us anything, it's that those players are overrated considering they won without them. Just kidding. These players, if out for most of the series, will be tough to replace over the long haul.

It's also the first time games will be played on consecutive days since 1955, which goes to show you how powerful an influence television is on professional sports. Because NBC wanted to have their summer series “I’m a celebrity … Get me out of here” on its regular Monday/Tuesday night timeslots, the Penguins and Red Wings were forced to play back to back on Saturday and Sunday. Evidently, we need to see more of Spencer and his creepy flesh covered beard rather than Crosby and Hossa.
Both teams possess a deep forward core with the Penguins top two scorers on a complete tear right now. Crosby and Malkin have combined for 56 points and 26 goals. Two more goals and they tie a postseason record for most goals by a teammate since the NHL moved to the current playoff system in 1994. On the other side Marian Hossa has a lot to prove, but I will have more on the turncoat later.
Johan Franzen has continued his postseason success with an amazing 23 goals in this two-postseason span. Three more and “The Mule” ties Joe Sakic for most goals in consecutive playoffs since 1994. The depth has been most apparent with the current injury situation with Dan Cleary scoring 8 goals and Darren Helm, who has yet to score a regular season goal, chipped in his 5th postseason goal in the series clincher vs. the Blackhawks.

Defensively Brad Stuart has emerged to play big time minutes in the absence of Nicklas Lidstrom, but the Red Wings need a healthy Lidstrom to match up against the big time forwards the Penguins bring to the table. The Penguins have been dressing 7 defensemen because of the unknown health of Sergei Gonchar and it seemed to have rejuvenated the Penguins best all around defensemen. But, as in most series, it will come down to the men who protect the net. Marc-Andre Fleury will be tested in this series as the Red Wings lead the playoffs in shots per game (39.5). Don’t forget he did make 55 saves in a Game 5 road win in last year’s final too. Fleury has showed in these playoff’s that he can take over and win games on his own, and will need to be up for the challenge against such a dominant offensive force. On the other side of the rink lies the Rodney Dangerfield of goaltenders, Chris Osgood. He can’t get the respect he deserves. With all the questions coming into the playoffs, all the three-time Stanley Cup winner has done is continue to win and do it in an impressive fashion. The 36-year-old netminder is second in the league in GAA (2.06) and the second best GAA in Stanley Cup Final history (1.55 in 11 games). If Osgood leads another team to a championship he has to get some serious concession for the Hall-of-Fame.

That finally brings me to Marian Hossa, the man who turned down a more lucrative contract to sign a one year deal with the Red Wings because he felt he had a “better” chance of winning a Cup with the Red Wings. My opinion on this matter is that Hossa earned the right to become an UFA and chose to join the defending Cup champions because they did and still do have the best chance of winning a Cup for the Slovakian. This will not add any fuel to the fire for the Penguins... just for their fans and for the media. My question is, though, what will happen if the Penguins win the Cup? Will Hossa, then a UFA, sign back with the Penguins for a one year deal because it will give him the best chance to win the cup? If nothing else, this is a great side story to an already great cup matchup.

Now for the fearless prediction (and, please, no one keep track of my record. It is as good as the Washington Nationals first month): I think the Penguins have learned from the experience last year. They did not score a goal until Game 3, and just looked overwhelmed in last year’s Cup Finals and this will not happen this year. The injuries, schedule, and the pure high that Crosby and Malkin are on will give us a new champion as I predict the Penguins will win the Cup in 5 games

The Hat Trick

2009-05-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

After a weekend of weddings and sun, it's time to bet back to the pucks. But first I have to give congratulations to Kris Allen, this year's American Idol. I think it was good Fox hardly told the 17-year old girls that he was married or it might have turned out differently. All in all, I do wish him and Adam Lambert a good singing career. Now, off to the Hat Trick, the top three things I am looking forward to this week.

1) Stanley Cup Finals re-match: Will this rare feat happen this week? Since the NHL took control of the Stanley Cup in 1926, a rematch of the previous year's Cup finals has only happened 8 times: 1948 – 1949 Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings, 1954 – 1955 Red Wings vs. Canadiens, 1957 – 1958 Canadiens vs. Bruins, 1959 – 1960 Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs, 1963 – 1964 Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings, 1968 – 1969 Canadiens vs. Blues, 1977- 1978 Canadiens vs. Bruins, 1983-1984 Islanders vs. Oilers. For this to not happen for 25 years shows us how rare it is, and we couldn't have two better teams with better storylines than we do this year. I will have a full preview when the match up is set, but I am looking forward to seeing if this unusual instance will happen this week.

2) Hossa Gate: I know it is not set in stone yet, and yes the Blackhawks and Cardiac Canes could make a heroic comeback and my Hat Trick looks silly this week, but how can you not be looking forward to Hossa Gate. Leave a team you make it to the Stanley Cup Finals with for a ONE YEAR deal and then face the team you left behind in the next year’s finals, what a story.

3) Down on the farm: First of all congrats to the Windsor Spitfires becoming the first team to win both the tie-breaker game and the Championship Final after starting the Memorial Cup 0-2. Another congratulations is due to Tyler Hall of the Spitfires, who helped his 2010 number one overall pick status by being named by the Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Memorial Cup. Down in the AHL I am looking forward to the Finals with the Hershey Bears and Manitoba Moose on the brink of securing their spots in the Calder Cup Finals.

American Idol

2009-05-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Both series had great first games the other night, though, people seem to be more excited about the big American Idol finale. I am going with the favorite Adam Lambert, of course, but predict Kris Allen to have a good career.

Back to the action. Cam Ward and Marc-Andre Fleury both played out of their minds in Game 1, and I expect a nice tight series because these goalies are on top of their games. Fleury always feels he has something to prove being the number 1 overall pick ahead of his opponent Eric Staal. Cam Ward, the best goalie left in this postseason, did his best to keep his team in the game, and I expect him to come back huge in Game 2.

In the other series, Detroit just seems to be able to turn it on whenever they want. I'm impressed with the way the Franzen-Zetterberg-Clearly line has played with the Hossa-Datsyuk line struggling during playoffs. This line just poses an impossible matchup for any team trying to defend them with a nice mix of size, speed and strength, not to mention they play great two-way hockey. I am glad to see Toews score some big goals for this team, he is such a great hard nose hockey player.

My Top Shelf this week, or scorer I am keeping an eye out for, sends me down to the Final 4 in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose, Cody Hodgson. Already named the OHL's most outstanding player and Hockey News #2 rated prospect, this hot shot prospect moves to the next step in his pursuit of the Calder Cup. Like most highly rated prospects that move to the A, they are asked to play a role, and boy has he fit in already. In 3 games played he already has a goal and an assist. Granted, goalie Cory Schneider is a big reason they are up 3-0 on the Houston Aeros in the Western Conference Finals, but it will be fun to watch Hodgson play with the big boys in a pressure situation.

Conference Finals Preview

2009-05-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Final Four is set, the teams have half the victories needed to win the ultimate prize, and if there is any indication from last round this one should be fun to watch. Now let’s get to the previews of both Conference Finals.

#1 Detroit Red Wings vs. #4 Chicago Blackhawks: The favorites vs. the dark horse is the theme in this Original 6 matchup. No team has repeated as Stanley Cup Champions since, well the Red Wings did it back in 1997 and 1998. The Red Wings are the first defending Stanley Cup champion to advance past 1st round since Colorado did 7 years ago. All these facts show you; number one how hard it is to repeat, and number two how talented this Detroit team is. Even with two of their top scorers Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Hossa (5 goals between them) struggling they have shown they have the offensive depth to match up with anyone. Led this postseason by clutch performer Johan Franzen, who has 33 points in his last 27 playoff game, the Wings will rely heavily on this depth matching up against the speedy Blackhawks, who sit right behind them in goals per game for the playoffs (3.67 to 3.64), and ahead of them in total goals (45 to 40)

The Red Wings took 4 out of the 6 match ups this season, including a memorable matchup at Wrigley Field on New Years, with the two Blackhawks wins coming in the last week of the season with Nikolai Khabibulin shutting them out in the last game of the season, and winning me my fantasy hockey league. With so much offense in this series it is hard not to overlook the goaltenders. Considering three of the four goalies left all have won a Stanley Cup in the past, both of the net minders have the talent to take their team to the promise land. Osgood was under much scrutiny for having a sub par regular season but has quiet skeptics by lowering his GAA by more than a goal per game (2.06 playoffs to 3.09 regular season). On the other side “The Bulin Wall” is still showing get him in a contract year and he can carry your team to the Conference Finals.

The Red Wings on defense are lead by the captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who has been a point per game player in these playoffs, and the return of his partner Brian Rafalski from injury has solidified the shut down pairing that will be needed for the Blackhawks, whose top line of Kane, Sharp, and Toewes have scored 17 of Chicago's 44 goals this postseason. Overall, I think the Blackhawks speed and power play will give the Red Wings trouble down low, but the depth of the Champs will matter more in another long physical series for these teams. The tandem of Datsyuk and Hossa has a lot to prove in this series as the Red Wings win in 6 games.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes: The East two hottest teams down the stretch meat up in unlikely matchup. Not unlikely because of their talents but the way they got to this series. The Hurricanes have been living on their last thread all postseason, from scoring two goals in 48 seconds to eliminate the Devils, and after relinquishing a 3-1 series lead disposed of the top seeded Bruins in overtime by a villain scoring his first career playoff goal. The Penguins have rode the coat tales of Sidney Crosby, who leads the team and NHL in goals (12) and points (21), and their MVP candidate Evgeni Malkin is third in the league in scoring with 19 point. Though not a star studded as the Capitals Penguins matchup this one has it share of good young talent on both sides.

When Eric Staal scores the Hurricanes win, this is shown by their 7-1 postseason record when the big man scores a goal or a point (1-5 when he doesn't). Staal 41 career points in postseason, has already broken Ron Francis' franchise record (39), and his 9 goals these playoffs is only behind Crosby and Ovechkin, did we also mention he has something Crosby and Ovechkin do not have, a Stanley Cup ring.

This also is a matchup of two coaches who took over during the season, with Dan Bylsma the Penguins used their offensive talent more and with Paul Maurice the Canes played a more defensive grind it out style. This style is shown in that Carolina’s 5 of 8 playoff wins have been by 1 goal. In these tight games they rely heavily on Cam Ward to make the big save, and if I were the Penguins I would hope this does not make it to Game 7, for Ward is a perfect 4-0 in Game 7, no other goalie in NHL history can say that.

The return of Segei Gonchar from injury not only saved the Penguins during the regular season but it also saved them in the postseason, when he returned from a knee injury to have an assists in Game 7 vs. Capitals. Beyond Gonchar, both teams have obscured no names defenseman that just fit roles on the ice. So with that fact Gonchar’s health and performance means that much more in this matchup. I have to mention Jussi Jokinen in this preview, what a story it has been for this guy who was put on waivers twice by one of the worst teams in the NHL, Tampa Bay, to scoring 6 goals this postseason. It has also been the timing of his goals that has made him a standout. Overall, both these teams have shown the resilience needed to win a Stanley Cup and both have Staal’s on the ice, sorry had to make the brother’s reference in the preview like everyone else, but I believe the Penguins are riding the hotter player in Crosby and Penguins will win in 6 games.

The Final Four

2009-05-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

So, the final four is set and none of the top seeds survived in the East. Only the Red Wings, of the top 3 seeds, advanced. I believe this is because of the parody in the league right now. Every team is so close during the regular season and then deadline moves closes the gap between the haves and have-nots.

So, let’s rewind to the trade deadline, and see if the deadline worked for the final four. The Red Wings made their big move in the off season acquiring Marian Hossa from the Penguins. All Hossa went on to do was finish third in the team in scoring (71 points), and lead the team in goals (40), and play solid two way hockey for this already stacked team. The other semi-finalist, the Chicago Blackhawks, made some great moves to solidify the checking line and experience by acquiring Stanley Cup winner Samuel Pahlsson, even though they had to give up solid defenseman prospect James Wisniewski. Another solid move just to fill a role for an already offensively stacked team, Pahlsson has averaged 3:00 of penalty kill time in the playoffs, most of Blackhawks forwards.

The teams in the East benefited more from deadline moves. The Carolina Hurricanes were in 9th place the day of the NHL trade deadline, then made the move to bring back hard nose winger Erik Cole from the Edmonton Oilers for often injured Justin Williams. Cole had 13 points in 17 games for the Canes, and reunited with power forward Eric Staal to form a dominant combination. Staal benefited the most scoring 12 goals in the last 17 games as the Canes vaulted up the standings to clinch a playoff berth. The Penguins were the biggest winners of these four at the deadline; they acquired much needed scoring for the Sidney Crosby line. Like the Canes, the Pens were only the 7th seed at the deadline, and were missing the secondary scoring past Malkin and Crosby, in step Chris Kunitz from the Ducks, and Bill Guerin from the Islanders. Kunitz finished with 18 points in 20 games, and Guerin 12 points in 17 games even better Crosby had 30 points in the last 20 games. Where would this team be without these two players? Probably out in the first round.

Towson Tigers

2009-05-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

Another quick blog for I am visiting my sister in beautiful Towson, Maryland for the next two days, and catching the Phillies-Nationals game Friday. I must first say congratulations to Alex Ovechkin, what a one man wrecking crew he was in this playoffs, I am truly impressed. Also, congratulation to Sidney Crosby who the last couple of years has been overshadowed by his Russian teammate, but showed in this series he has the skills and determination to take over a series. I know I keep teasing the readers on a full “what this meant to the NHL” blog, but I want to do my research on the numbers and let it set in, so keep on reading and you will read one man’s opinion about that topic. For now let’s all enjoy two more Game 7 tonight.

I have stated that only one road team will win a Game 7, so looks like it already happen. The Hurricanes blew it, and the way Boston sports are going they can do no wrong. Also watch out if the game gets out of hand for retribution towards Scott Walker. The Ducks have gone farther than anyone has expected, and much has been because of their young goaltender. I apologize to my favorite Jonas Brother, I said here expect to see Jiggy in this series, boy was I wrong. The kid has been amazing; he has faced the most shots in the playoffs (484) and leads all goaltenders in save percentage (.946%). I would say with that kind of goaltending you have a shot, but can’t go back on my Stanley Cup pick already so go with the Wings. Sorry for the short entry today, but puck heads enjoy some amazing Game 7s tonight!

Game 7 Heaven

2009-05-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

First, I want to apologize to Bruins fans. I was wrong. Man that was tough to say, because I thought there was no way the Bruins would come out and beat the Hurricanes at home. So, now the pressure lies on a man that has come up big in every Game 7 he has played. Cam Ward will put his 3-0 career Game 7 record on the line. No goalie has ever reached a perfect 4-0 or better in game 7’s, but really how does will this team bounce back from blowing a 3-1 deficit? As for the other game Tuesday night, I predicted right, Getzlaf is a beast! He is dominating like Joan Rivers on Celebrity Apprentice.

So the stage is set for three Game 7. It’s time for the most grueling, exciting, heart-racing, toe-numbing, jaw-dropping, head-shaking, earth-quaking time for these players and fans. There have been 125 Game 7s in NHL history. The home teams are no lock, winning just over 63 % of the time. So, which road warrior will come out on top as the dust settles? Well, I am no soothsayer, but if I had to guess it would be the Penguins. I have said it here numerous times, but they will bounce back and take advantage of a goalie starting to show signs of fatigue.

With so much being made about the Scott Walker – Aaron Ward sucker punch, I have to throw the NHL discipline committee into the Penalty Box. This is a quote from the TSN article; "Based on what was said on the ice as I was dropping my gloves, it was my understanding that I was engaged in an altercation," Scott Walker said in a statement issued by the team. I mean come one! Look, I understand in an NHL fight you have to be ready for the other person to throw a punch at anytime, but a one game suspension would have been sufficient. The NHL is making no sense with these suspensions for the playoffs. I am all for the physical part of the game, but there has been a double standard throughout the playoffs about suspensions. So, for that, the NHL discipline committee gets put in the Penalty Box.

How Bout Them Playoff's

2009-05-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a night! The NHL, and fans not from Pittsburgh, are very happy and excited for Tuesday night in the nation’s capital. The big players played there heart out and I am impressed with the resilience these Capitals have shown in the last two playoff series. An outcome of this game that was maybe not so good, was it gave big game goalie Marc-Andre Fleury his first career playoff OT loss. I guess it had to happen at some point in his career, but surprisingly against a team that had lost its last seven previous overtime games. It should be an amazing scene in downtown D.C. I just wish this series didn’t have to end, and that it doesn’t fatigue the winning team so much that they have nothing left for the next round.

The other game was up and down and all around, as Kane and Toews vaulted the upstart Blackhawks into the Western Conference Finals. Now, I don’t want to say I told you so, but… I told you that this team was the dark horse that no one was talking about! I am happy for this once proud organization, and now Cubs fans have something else to be distracted by for a little more time.

As we move forward to the Memorial Cup in this week’s Top Shelf (scorers I am keeping an eye on), I want to salute all of the MVP’s of the CHL tournaments. First the WHL, where the Kelowa Rockets captured the Ed Chynoweth Cup and Sabres 2008 draft pick Tyler Myers was named Tournament MVP. Myers, a 6-8 defenseman, had 20 points in 22 playoff games after compiling a career-high 42 points in the regular season, and has already signed an entry level contract for the Sabres.
In the OHL, the Wayne Gretzky "99" Award as the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 OHL Playoffs went to the young Tyler Hall. Hall has already been slated to be the top pick of the 2010 NHL Draft finishing with an amazing 36 points in 20 playoff games, after posting a 90 point campaign. Now he just has to stay focused with still another year in the OHL.
In the QMJH, Shawinigan and Drummondville will play a Game 7 Tuesday night, but it will be hard not to give it to Yannick Riendeau of Drummondville. Riendeau has 49 points in 18 games including 27 goals. The non-drafted Bruins property, Riendeau finished the 2008-2009 regular season as the league leader in goals, assists, points, power play goals and game-winning goals.
I hope all “Pucking Awesome” Blog Fans enjoy the Memorial Cup coming up May 15th!

The Hat Trick

2009-05-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to take the time out in my blog to congratulate Erica and Will on a wonderful wedding this weekend in North Carolina. I hope their lives are filled with as much happiness and love as I saw this weekend. Also, I can’t forget the mothers out there and hope they had a Happy Mother’s Day.

Oh, what a weekend! The Penguins came back from the dead in back-to-back wins and took control of the series. The Red Wings finally wake up and show there true offensive talent vs. the Jonas Brother. The Blackhawks shock the world and win on the road, and continue to win without Toews scoring goals. The Hurricanes dominate the two home games and then decide they want to win the series at home so they don’t show up on Sunday. That brings me to the weekly Hat Trick, or, the three things I am watching for this week.

1.) Who will show their ability to bounce back this week? The theme above was teams that had control and then lost it this weekend. I am not surprised about the Capitals losing three straight. As I have stated here before, the Penguins are the most resilient team left in the playoffs and continue to show that. I am very shocked, however, by the Canucks. This is a team that has held leads in every game in this series, but has only won 2 games. That, my friends, is what we call a bad trend. So who will show their ability to bounce back this week and force a Game 7? Sorry Boston fans, not you, you are done, so that brings me to the Ducks. Will they win this series? Probably not, but I just feel the miracle 8th seed Ducks have one more game in them and will give their home fans a show. Don’t forget that 6 out of 9 meetings this season between the Wings and Ducks have been decided by one goal (including Game 1, 2 and 3). I see another close game and Getzlaf willing his team to one more victory.

2.) Did Ovechkin vs. Crosby live up the hype? I will delve more into this series and its impact on the league later but, as the series comes closer to the end, I am looking to see if this superstar series actually lives up to the hype. I think it has so far. How can you not be excited about the league with Ovechkin vaulting his way to the top of the league’s playoff scoring with an amazing 7 goals in this series? Crosby hasn’t disappointed either, both scoring 5 goals and adding 3 assists in the series. I am very interested to see the discussions nationally about how this series impacted the league around the country.

3.) Who will win Capitals vs. Penguins Part 2? Not very often do the big clubs and the minor league teams match up in both the NHL and AHL playoffs. So, it is great to see which organization is better at their core. The Hershey Bears and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins are scheduled for a Game 7 on Tuesday night. How they got there sounds pretty familiar. The Bears won the first two games, only to loose the next three, and then force a pivotal Game 7 at home with a 3-0 shutout of the Baby Pens on Sunday night. The first time they have been shutout all year. Should be a fun night at the Giant Center, and here’s to hoping the big clubs match them.

On Site

2009-05-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

So just a quick blog since I am on a mini vacation down south in North Carolina. Even though I was in the Charlotte, I heard the big roar out of Raleigh as the Hurricanes took a commanding 3-1 lead over the Bruins. I did predict the Canes to win this series, but I sure though the Bruins would of had more fight in them.

In the other series just what the doctor ordered as the Penguins got some home cooking and even up the series. Even though the Bear, Varlamov, looked human tonight, can you really go back to sleepy Theodore? One can only hope for a 7 game series cause this has been amazing to watch.

The Penalty Box

2009-05-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Since my latest entries and pretty much all the media attention has been about the Penguins – Capitals big series, this will be the only mention of this matchup in today’s blog. Now onto the other Eastern Conference Semi-final matchup as the series shifts to ruckus Raleigh tied 1-1, I believe we have found the unheralded playoff performer in this series. Chad LaRose, who did have career high 19 goals in the regular season, has followed it with a big game performance in the playoffs (8 points). This unrestricted free agent to be has made some money for himself as an energy second to third line player that can kill penalties and play some power play. His relentless pressure on the penalty kill was a huge part of the Hurricanes winning Game 2 and getting back into the series. This one time 61 goal scorer in the OHL has come onto the scene and stepped up in big spots for the Hurricanes.

Another big topic around the hockey world has to do with the financial troubles of the Phoenix Coyotes. The league wants to keep this team in an American market and has made that clear by holding up Jim Balsillie's $212.5 million offer to save the team finances, because Balsillie’s offer is on the condition that the team relocates to southern Ontario. The legal battle will now resume as the Blackberry king who has been nothing but persistent to move an American team to Canada will have his day in court; watch out this will get messy. The team cracked the top 20 in attendance only once in the last eight years and has been ranked 29th four times in that eight year span. This team needs a change, but I would be more interested in seeing this team move to Kansas City, where they already have a new arena, or even Las Vegas, where someday a professional team will be located. I say why not be innovative and jump the gun before the NBA, if your prerogative is to keep the team in the US to keep the TV market then take a risk with the sin city.

Finally my penalty box has been empty lately and then referee Brad Watson goes and ruins a great playoff game. With 1:09 remaining in the game, Marian Hossa seemed to have tied the game on a beautiful diving goal in front, but the idiot Brad Watson decided to blow the play dead with the puck just sitting in plain site for all to see, except for him. This was the explanation given by NHL’s E.J. McGuire, series manager and spokesman for officials:, “On a replay, it’s easy to make the correct call. The official was down along the goal line. He was moving forward toward the net to try to get a look at where the puck was. When he couldn't see the puck, all referees' instructions are to blow the whistle and blow the play dead. A combination of the black puck and the black pants may have been a factor. But when he didn't see the puck, he blew the whistle.” My question to him and the officials committee was why he was so quick to blow the whistle, I have watched the play over and over again; slow, fast, forward and back, and I still don’t see why he blew the whistle. He was on the side of the net when he blew it, and I know the turnover by Niedermayer happen so quickly, but why didn’t he wait until he could see the play from his normal position behind the net, a place he also would of seen the puck in clear site not covered. This was an awful call and Brad Watson deserves to be put in my penalty box.

The Bear

2009-05-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

How fitting on the day the most over hyped athlete wins his first NBA MVP, I am talking to you LeBron James, we were witness to a great back and forth battle of two of the biggest stars in the NHL. Both mega stars notched their first post-season hat trick, Ovechkin’s third goal also the game winner, as the Capitals for once in the last two seasons have an early lead in a playoff series. What a special night for the NHL in fact this has only happen four other times in playoff history.

The other budding star in this series is Simeon Varlamov, who has now played more playoff games in his career than regular season games. This Russian rookie has been making spectacular save after spectacular save, and I am official calling him “The Bear”. People feel free to use this nickname, named after half of his mask being the Hershey Bear, and flat out that he takes up the net like a big grizzly bear. The kid has been the best thing to happen to D.C. sports since MJ un-retired for the 100th time to play for the Wizards. Monday was The Bear’s 5th straight win and he kept the Caps in the game long enough to allow his countryman to win it for them. How can you not be pumped for the next game in this series, one can only hope the Pens win both in Pittsburgh so we can have a long and fun series.

I have not given my timeout in a while, and I would love to give Malkin a timeout, but my blog has been all about that series, so I am going to head west and throw Ryan Getzlaf in for a timeout. Not for the reason I normally give a person a timeout, but I need to talk about this guy. Getzlaf leads the league in points headed into action Tuesday night, but has also been physically dominant in both series. Joe Thornton thought he was pumping up his team in both Game 5 and 6, when he went after The Franchise, but it did not work as the 8th seed Ducks upset the Sharks. Now Getzlaf has 5 multi-point games and the Ducks have a legit chance against the Juggernaut Wings. Ice time has become a topic of discussion with Getzlaf, for he has already played 67 minutes in two games, I think this won’t affect his scoring touch, but will take away his physical presence which would hurt the Ducks chances big time. This is why I want to give Getzlaf the timeout, so he doesn’t have to play all these minutes for the Ducks and we can continue to be amazed by his skills and strength.

The Hat Trick

2009-05-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

What a great first week of the second round, we had two of the most amazing stick saves I have ever seen, a triple-OT thriller and two tied series. So let’s get right to the Hat Trick, or the top three things I am looking forward to this week.

1) Ovechkin vs. Crosby Part 2: I mean how can you not be excited about these games this week, it has caught the national attention and the first game was exhilarating as running with the bulls. Both superstars scored goals and were the best players on the ice for their respective teams. So what I want to see is Mr. Malkin, Mr. Hart Trophy candidate, have more than 2 shots, have more of a physical presence, and have a game where he takes over playing against the other teams 2nd line. Maybe even score a power play goal Geno, as the Penguins were 0 for 5 in Game 1, and are now 0 for last 17 man advantages. For Alexander the Great, who got a glorious gift from King James this week, he has to not get too distracted from all this attention. He is a rock star and loves the spotlight, but he has to remain focused on the task at hand and try, for once, to not let his team get down 3 games to 1 in a series.

2) Can Hiller keep this up? He looked slow to the puck in Game 2, at times I thought he was injured because he would stay on his knees instead of stand up. Maybe it had to do with the 99 shots against already in the first two games, but I am interested to see if this 27-year old missing Jonas brother can continue to face this many shots and keep the Ducks in a series against an all-world offense.

3) Sorry Boston and Caniacs, but my last shot from the point comes from the windy city. Two games in and we have seen the Canucks blow leads in both games, obviously that is a BAD trend to have in a playoff series. Roberto Luongo has looked human, and that is another another not so good sign for the Canucks. Now word out of the great northwest is that Sami Salo stayed in the mountains and did not travel with the team. Salo scored the first goal in Game 2 and the game winning goal in Game 1, playing over 20 minutes a game, this would be a huge loss for Vancouver. On the other side of match up, Nikolai Khabibulin finally exercised the demons and beat the Canucks for the first time since 1998 (0-10-1). Contract years seem to motivate the Bulin Wall, like Arlen Spector towards the Democratic Party to gain re-election, and this one has been no different for the free agent to be. With Luongo looking human, his calming nature and big game experience has to be a factor in this series, cause don’t forget the Blackhawks still have a $5 million goalie sitting on the bench ready for the call.

TGIF

2009-05-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Great start to the playoff action last night, though wish it was a bit more low scoring since I have both goalies in my hockey pool. I think the rust caught up to the Canucks in the third period because they were not able to sustain their momentum, but I was impressed to see them come back and win the game that seemed to slip their grasps. The Blackhawks should take pride in their Mickey Rourke sized comeback, especially against such a great goaltender. What they have to do now is use that moral victory going forward, into what I always say is the most important game in the series, the second game.

As we hear more and more player’s line up for the surgery table as more and more teams get eliminated it makes me think of how much hockey players sacrifice for the cup. Playing hurt is part of the un-written code passed on from player to player, from broken bones to bruised bodies, it is amazing to hear the stories what these men go through. In the age of sports, where the NFL and NBA injuries are needed to be known for gambling purposes, it is fresh to hear the disclosure. Please puck heads don’t forget what these pure warriors go through.

Lastly, the Top Shelf, or what sniper I am looking forward to this weekend. The rich get richer, as Justin Abdelkader continues to tear up the AHL playoff’s for Detroit farm team Gran Rapids Griffins. This second round pick of the 2005 from Muskegon, Michigan leads the league with 6 goals in the first round start the second round this weekend vs. the Manitoba Moose. The Moose feature one of the top goalie prospects, who one day has to be traded because he is stuck behind Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, and it will be fascinating matchup for this top line talent. The Michigan State alum six goals against Hamilton set a franchise record for a single playoff round. This won’t be the first time Abdelkader has face AHL goalie of the year Schneider, as he scored the game-winning goal for Michigan State in the 2007 NCAA championship game against Schneider’s Boston College, with 18.9 seconds left.

Second Round Preview

2009-04-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

After a tough loss for the Cyclones in roller hockey there is nothing else to do but preview the second round starting tomorrow night in Vancouver, as I sit here and watch the last ever Chuck, unless you people save it!

#3 Vancouver vs. #4 Chicago: This is probably the toughest match up to predict, the Canucks have been off for eight days while the Blackhawks gained some valuable experience in a first round win over the Flames. The best goalie left in the playoffs is in this series, Roberto Luongo only let in 5 goals in a 4 game series vs St. Louis and needs a good series to reach that next level which everyone has expected him to be at. Chicago does have the offense to pepper “Bobby Lou”; the Baby Hawks outscored the Flames 21-14, and not only did Kane and Toews play well but so did Calder finalist Kris Versteeg, who led the team in first round scoring with 7 points. So a typical strength vs. strength series, but I think it will come back to the Big Boy from Montreal, he is the difference in this series and will finally take his place as the elite goalie in this league. Vancouver in 7 games

#2 Detroit vs. #8 Anaheim: Who would have thought the Ducks would be here and because of Jonas Hiller, who stopped 220 of 230 shots vs the Sharks, and 2nd in save percentage only to Luongo. This is not the under achieving Sharks offense he is facing in this series, and I would not be surprised to see some J.S. Giguere in this series. The Ducks made an under the rador deadline move by getting Ryan Whitney and with a healthy Francois Beauchemin and of course Pronger and Niedermayer surprisingly they match up defensively against this offensive juggernaut that are the Red Wings. The one thing that might hold back the Red Wings, like it did with the top seeded Sharks, will be overconfidence. They had an easy time with the virgin Blue Jackets and might come out flat against the hot Ducks. This might give the Ducks some early victories, but I just don’t see that being an overall factor. The Red Wings are just too deep, with 11 players with at least one goal and 15 of the 18 dressed players had at least one point. The defending champs will advance but all the games should be close. Detroit in 6 games

#1 Boston vs. #6 Carolina: 19:28 of the third period was when big game Eric Staal scored his series clinching goal, and tying him for the playoff leading in goals in the first round (5). I am still shocked that the Hurricanes won the series down 3 games to 2 vs. the best goalie ever. So how can I not jump on the bandwagon of this hot team? The top seeded Bruins took care of business against a bad goalie and overall dysfunctional team. I am sorry but Britney Spears at her worst was not in as much turmoil as the Canadiens were at the end of the year, just shows you how bad the Florida Panthers are. The best matchup of this series will be Zdeno Chara vs. Eric Staal, which is 157 inches of hockey players clashing shift after shift. The clutch Staal now has 35 points in 37 career playoff games, but does have some help as people forget that Ray Whitney led the team in points during the regular season and tied Staal and energy guy Chad LaRose with 7 points. Needles to say Vezina Trophy candidate Tim Thomas will have to step up his play in this series, his first real test as a pro. Bruins are a very deep team and the top line of Savard, Kessel and Axelsson are all snipers (12 combined 1st round points). Michael Ryder proved to the Canadiens he still had something left, by leading the Bruins with 7 points, but this series will come back to the goalies. Don’t forget that Cam Ward has won a Conn Smyth trophy and has a Stanley Cup ring, and I feel we have not seen his best yet in this postseason. Carolina in 5 games

#2 Washington vs. #4 Pittsburgh: Saving the best series for last, the dream matchup for the NHL with three of the top players in the same series, The Ovechkin vs. Crosby series. I have said it here before that the Penguins against the Flyers showed the moxy needed to win in the playoffs. The Capitals problem is they start out slow, in both of their last two playoff series they have gone down 3-1, and luckily for them the Rangers remembered they could not score goals. The insertion of Simeon Varlamov has made a difference for this team, and the big guns have produced as Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin have combined for 22 points in those 7 games. The other side’s big weapons are 1 and 2 in playoff points as Malkin 9 point’s leads the league, just like Art Ross winner did in the regular season. This series will be amazing to watch and I hope for the benefit of the league it goes 7 games just so we can watch these bright stars shine. I just feel Marc-Andre Fleury and the resilience of the Penguins will be the ultimate swinging point, though people will argue battling back from a 3-1 deficit also shows a great bounce back mentality, I just feel the win in that series was more a Rangers coming back to life than a Capitals dominance. Pittsburgh in 7 games

Crosby vs Ovechkin

2009-04-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

The young Capitals learned from their experience last year. Although the first period was not an example of how to win a game 7, the better team ended up winning the game and the series when the ageless wonder with the hot girlfriends, on his expected last hurrah, scored 15:01 into the third period. So Ovechkin suits up for the second round finally, and it is all thanks to a 21-year-old countryman who ended up saving the series for the Caps. 4 goals on 21 shots is what the million dollar Paris Hilton-loving former Hart Trophy winner, Jose Theodore, could muster in game 1. Then steps in 2006 1st round pick Simeon Varlamov, and the series immediately changed. And as the dust cleared in the 7-game series, Sir Simeon ended up stopping 138 of 145 shots in a Cam Ward circa 2004 performance. One great stat I saw about this kid was that he had the least regular-season experience (6 GP) for a playoff starter since Miikka Kiprusoff started for SJ in 2001 (5 GP). What if Brent Johnson, who was 12-6-2 with a .908 save percentage, had not injured his hip? Lastly, the NHL will enjoy the Crosby vs. Ovechkin series.

In the other game, all I can say is WOW! So I guess even the best have their worst days, as Martin Brodeur looked more like Ron Hextall vs. Claude Lemieux, as Eric Staal beat him with 32 seconds to go. Cam Ward moves to 3-0 in Game 7s and wins his first on the road, making 32 saves in the victory. I am shocked that Brodeur missed that shot; it was like watching the Patriots go undefeated and choking away the Super Bowl. The Hurricanes are a gritty bunch and have some serious scorers from their blue line, and I predict them to take down the top-seeded Bruins. I will have a full preview of the second round later in the week.

Lastly, on a personal note, as maybe you have heard through my Facebook status or Tweets, I won the 2009 George Wensel Technical Achievement Emmy Award. I would like to thank the great ESPN Technology department for allowing me to be a part of the EA Sports Virtual Playbook. It was a true honor to be involved in this cutting edge innovation. One person I would like to single out is Aaron Thiel, who was such a big help and stayed patient with us as we tried to learn such a difficult program. Thank you Aaron, it was a pleasure to work with you.

The Hat Trick

2009-04-26T21:06:00.001-07:00

You heard it here first that the Capitals will win this series, and now King Henrik is looking more like Martin Biron, as this series comes down to one game on Tuesday. This brings me to my weekly Hat Trick or the three things I am looking forward to this week.
1) Game 7: How can you not look forward to a Game 7? Two of them are on Tuesday, as the Capitals try to pull off the comeback they could not finish last year vs the Flyers, and face the reeling Rangers. Go with the hot hands in this one as the Capitals have finally figured out Lundqvist, the only reason the Rangers have won 3 games in this series. I will again call out Mr. Ovechkin and want to see him step up and make the second round to help promote this league. The other do-or-die game is at the Rock as the Hurricanes face off against Martin Brodeur and the Devils. Back to back shutouts from both goalies have shown how important the net minders are in this series. Now who do you take; a hall-of-famer who is 5-3 in Game 7’s or the Saskatoon upstart who is a perfect 2-0 in decisive games? I like the Devils in this one, just feel they are deeper and have the home ice advantage and most important have Brodeur, though Ward is a great goalie in this league. We also might have two more from the West, so keep an eye on those series.

2) Who can beat Pittsburgh in the East? Crosby and Malkin are big time players in this league and Marc Andre Fleury, aside from his 2004 blunder off Bryadon Coburn that cost his team a gold medal, has come up big and has seemed to finally reach his full potential as a former number 1 overall pick. This team took out a very talented Flyers team, and in the process showed the bounce back, forget what just happen in the game/period before needed. This is what a team needs to have a long and successful run in the playoffs. Also, I think the Penguins just beat the only opponent that was a true threat to their run to back-to-back Cup finals. No other team in the East side matches up against the two power house players down the middle.

3) With the NFL Draft this past weekend, and watching Mel Kipers hair stand still for 24 hours, makes me think forward to the June 26th night in Montreal, and the big pick for the New York Islanders. Though I still think at the end of the day Toronto will move up and select homeboy John Tavares, but some intrigue has developed at the second slot. The latest International Scouting Services rankings have Brampton Battalion centre Matt Duchene moving past Chara wannabe, and 6’6’’ Victor Hedman. Duchene currently 2nd in the OHL playoffs in goals with 13, and is coming off two straight 30 goals regular seasons, and an amazing +32. The Battalion have march their way to the OHL finals starting on Wednesday and will face off against the Windsor Spitfires. So with no Tavares in the OHL finals, I am interested in seeing how Duchene performs in the finals to increase his buzz for the draft in June. Not to mention his teammate and number 2 ranked prospect by Hockey News, Canucks Cody Hodgson.

The Tough Fourth Win

2009-04-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

As the series in the first round come to a close a trend has began to show, that the hardest game to win in a series is the fourth and deciding game. Teams are winning on the road, winning big, and why? Because they have that one intangible called desperation in their favor. The team I am most interested to see what kind of desperation is left is the Sharks. The Ducks are vying to become the eight 8th seed, since 1994, to eliminate a number 1 seed in the first round, just seems like yesterday that Arturs Irbe and the up start Sharks were beating the top seeded Red Wings. Now the tables could be turned thanks to the Ducks young guys, Bobby Ryan (team leading 4 goals) and Jonas Hiller (stopping 139-of-145 shots) have been on fire for this team. Looking at the other side of the spectrum, as usually Joe Thornton is no where to be found in the playoffs for the Sharks (2 assist, -4). I think San Jose will follow suit with the other teams this week down 3-1; win on Saturday to only loose the series. If I had to pick one team that could overcome a 3-1 deficit in this year playoffs it would have to be the Capitals over the Rangers. The Capitals are the better team, they just were having a tough time beating the first round Conn Smyth winner Henrik Ludqvist, they will continue to figure him out and I predict a 3-1 collapse by the Rangers.

Speaking of the Rangers, and their sloppy seconds, but I have to say that their decision to bench super-pest Sean Avery in Game 5 was a great decision. Though the coach dodged the question, "I'm not going to explain it in this forum," Rangers head coach John Tortorella said. "It was my decision and that's what it was." The real reason was his two undisciplined third-period penalties in Game 4 that almost cost the Rangers an important win. One might argue that the team looked as flat as a soda that has been sitting in the fridge for months, that they were missing that spark plug that the Bad Boy of Broadway has given the team in the last couple of months. I argue that the Rangers, though the have the best PK in the league, can’t afford to keep giving the Capitals power plays in the third period and can’t afford having a distraction as they try to win the hardest victory in the series. I really hope that next year Sean Avery is working at Vogue talking about what the latest fashion faux pas of the red carpet was, instead of talking to reporters about how he just doesn’t fit in with this or any team.

Congrats Columbus Fans

2009-04-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

First of all I want to congratulate the fans of Columbus for being able to see as many playoff hockey games as fans from Atlanta in their first playoff series. They did deserve a better fate than tonight, not their fault they had to face an All-Star team in the first round. Again, who is going to beat Detroit? I guess the Chris Osgood questions have been answered for now, it will be interesting to see who they get in next round, if it is the Ducks they will get pushed a bit more in that series. But back to the fans in Columbus, hold your head up high and salute those boys, and let’s hope your GM doesn’t become anything like Don “How do I still have a job” Waddell in Atlanta.

Am I having flashbacks to 2001? Or did I just see Brian Boucher talking to Jeremy Roenick on the Sharks bench, man I loved those guys when they were with the Flyers. So what do you think the NHL will want to happen Friday in the Capitals, Rangers series? On one hand you have a very high market in New York which always helps with television ratings and just overall buzz about the league. Though the team is absolute awful to watch reminds me of watching Observe and Report. Seth Rogen is better as a side kick guy not a main guy; I don’t know how he pulled it off in Knocked Up, but boy were the other movies he was in just horrid to watch. On the other hand, you have one of the league’s most exciting, if not the most exciting player to watch in Alex Ovechkin, tricked you thought I was going to say Sergei Fedorov, though I must admit that Fedorov’s girlfriends were entertaining to watch. I guess as a fan of the league either one advancing will be good for the sport, but if you are Alex Ovechkin at some point in your career you are going to have to make a deep playoff run to be considered one of the best to play this game.

Now let’s move onto my weekly Top Shelf segment or the scorer to watch in the playoffs. It is tough to be the person drafted after Sidney Crosby, but Bobby Ryan has finally come onto the scene. I am a big fan of this guy, and not just because he was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, but because he never let the yo-yoing back and forth from Portland/Iowa detract him from his goal. When you are such a high pick people expect greatness out of you right away, especially when you are 6’2’’, 213 pound power forward, and worst of all drafted after the “Next One”. Ryan has been assigned to the Ducks AHL team 5 times, and people were starting to wonder if he was a bust at number two overall, but then it stuck. Ryan led all rookies in goals with 31 this year and in only 64 games, and never once complained about not being a full time player with the Ducks until November. This kid has a bright future in the NHL and I will be excited to watch him make more highlight reel goals like the one below.

High School Reunion

2009-04-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

So far I am 2-3 on my picks; I just thought Kris Versteeg tailed off a bit at the end of the season, only 17 points in his last 34 games. Interested to see Wednesday if 6-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom gets nominated or we see some young blood in Shea Webber joining Mike Green and Zdeno Chara. So if you were unhappy with the way your life was going would you send a stripper to your high school reunion? Some California loser did that, I mean you don’t want to be remembered as the nerd who got a good job, but as the girl who gave all the old fat football players lap dances at the reunion.

The Canucks on Monday became the first team to advance to the second round which brings up the discussion of rest vs rust. It is a hard decision, at one end you get your players as healthy as they can be during this hard run. On the other hand seems like the team on a roll who just sit and wait will just loose that momentum. My opinion because that is why you are visiting this site is go with the rest. In a playoff series the healthier team usually wins out. As a Flyers fan how many times did I say boy we would of won that series if we had a healthy Eric Lindros. The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win, you play 82 regular season games and then drooling physical series, to have rest during this time is an added bonus so take it and run.

Now time to put someone in my penalty box. Colin Campbell has been the czar of discipline since the 1998-99 season, and not once have I agreed with his decision on suspensions. Then I hear an interview with him on XM defending his judgment’s just made me sick. He has been running the league at a different standard all depends if you are a “repeat offender”, my question to you is how can someone be called a “repeat offender” if you don’t suspend them once? Just call it even and make decisions based on what you are trying to get rid of in this league, head shots, scuffles when the game is over, sending a message, not on who is a guy you want out of the league. Colin Campbell you get two minutes for not doing your job right.

Awards

2009-04-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

With the playoffs in full gear we can't forget about the regular season. The NHL this week will start to announce the finalist for the end of the season award show in Las Vegas, June 18th. Here are my picks for the three finalists with my pick on top in red. Also included are when the real finalist will be announced.

Wednesday, April 22 Calder Memorial Trophy (top rookie)

Steve Mason - Columbus

Bobby Ryan - Anaheim

Pekka Rinne - Nashville

Thursday, April 23 James Norris Memorial Trophy (top defenseman)

Mike Green - Washington

Zdeno Chara - Boston

Nicklas Lidstrom - Red Wings

Friday, April 24 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (skill/sportsmanship)

Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit

Patrick Marleau - San Jose

Saku Koivu - Montreal

Monday, April 27 Vezina Trophy (top goaltender) Tuesday, April 28

Tim Thomas - Boston

Steve Mason - Columbus

Miikka Kiprusoff - Calgary

Frank J. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward) Wednesday, April 29

Mike Richards - Philadelphia

Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit

Mikko Koivu - Minnesota

Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) Thursday, April 30

Alexander Ovechkin - Washington

Evgeni Malkin - Pittsburgh

Steve Mason - Columbus

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (perseverance and dedication to hockey) Friday, May 1

Martin Brodeur - New Jersey Devils

Simon Gagne - Philadelphia

Martin Havlat - Chicago

Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year) Monday, May 4

Claude Julien - Boston

Todd McClellan - San Jose

Ken Hitchcock - Columbus

Saving the Sharks

2009-04-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hockey announcers are some of the best in the business. Jack Edwards just compared beating the Canadiens to beating the “red coats” on Patriots Day- got to love hockey announcers. Glad to also see the Capitals read my blog and finally started to work for their goals like Lindsay Lohan for alcohol. The Caps now have passed on the choke artist role to a team in the West, keep reading.

Off to my Tuesday segment called my Timeout! The San Jose Sharks won the Presidents’ Trophy. Usually that is not a recipe for success, but it also isn’t a recipe for losing your first two games at home. I give Jonas Hiller credit, a lot of it. He has been the hot goalie, saving 77 of 79 shots he has faced. I also don’t forget that this Ducks team has Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and a healthy Francois Beauchemin who leads the team with 8 blocked shots and defenseman with 5 credited hits. Sharks fans hate the Columbus Blue Jackets right now with a passion, the team that free-fell in the last week causing San Jose to clinch a date with the Ducks. Enough with all the blame. I feel like Kayne West blaming people for not winning awards, but the Sharks are where they are because of the way they have played. Now, they only have a 12.7 percent chance of coming back from two games down to win the series, and I doubt this will be the 2002 Red Wings who went down 0-2 in their first series and not only won but also took home the Stanley Cup. The Sharks need to get dirty like Cheechoo did on that second goal, not to mention 0-12 on the power play against a team that ranked 23rd in the regular season. I just don’t see this team coming back but would love to see them make a fight for it.

So will Jack Bauer now get with Agent Walker now that Larry Moss is out of the way? The other two big games Tuesday- because we all know the Canucks and Red Wings will win- are on the East Coast. The Devils finally won an OT playoff game in Raleigh (1-6 in career) when Travis Zajac scored on Cam Ward. This was a big win, for they did it without their leader Jamie Langenbrunner, who most likely will miss Game 4 with a “lower body injury.” I, like many, have enjoyed watching the goalies in this series and expect more of the same Tuesday night. Lastly, the series with all the punch: The Penguins are lucky to be up in this series 2-1, and the Flyers played an almost perfect game on Sunday. The Orange and Black still had 11 penalties in that game and have given their Keystone State rivals a total of 20 power plays; the Penguins have a power play goal in 5 straight playoff games. I was very disappointed to hear that Chris Kunitz had not been suspended for his leaping hit on Timonen, but I can’t argue with the Penguins’ game plan to punish the Flyers’ best defenseman; you can already see what a difference Timonen has made in this series from previous years. Most thought this series would go 7. Now it is time for the Fly Guys to even it up or for the Pens to take a stranglehold on it. Boy, it will be fun to watch.

The Hat Trick

2009-04-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry puckheads for not having blog entries the last couple of days, been busy working on my tan in 75 degree weather in the great northeast. Here comes the Hat Trick for the week; the top three things I am looking forward to this week.

1) Will the choke continue for the Capitals? No offense to Rangers fans, but come on who expected this from a great offensive team? Now King Henrik is playing out of his mind (stopped 67 of 70 shots in the series), and has stolen both games like the way Angelina Jolie steals husbands and babies from other countries, but COME ON Capitals let’s go! I loved the interview with Capitals coach Bruce Boudrea on the bench saying he had no idea who he was starting. I think we are witnessing one of the all-time choke jobs with this talented team. They have looked very lack luster, expecting the puck to just find its way into the net instead of muscling it to the net themselves. I am very interested to see this series unfold during the week.

2) Will the parade to the penalty box continue in these playoffs? I mean come on NHL, I know you want more power plays but this has been horrible. I have seen too many games with 5 or 6 power plays in a game. I know it’s easy to blame the officials for everything, like blaming Scott Norwood for all of Buffalo’s sports playoff failures is getting ridiculous. I have enjoyed most of the games I have watched but I feel the flow of the game is ruined by the amount of penalties called. I am hopeful that the stripes are just trying to set a precedent, but will allow the teams to play as the series winds down and the pressure heats up. Here’s to hoping.

3) Will the Blackhawks hot streak continue? I called it here last week that Chicago was the dark horse in the west, and boy was I impressed with those baby hawks. Maybe if they continue to win, a certain someone from Mike and Mike in the morning will actually pay attention to them? This team is fun to watch. Toews is a pure winner. The kid just has it, like my dude Justin Timberlake, every team he touches turns to gold. I’m interested to see how they respond on the road because the Saddledome will be rocking. I think these kids will keep it going, send Iron Mike and Playoff Olie home, and sing here comes the hawks the whole time.

The Lollipop Guild

2009-04-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

Being a part of a fantasy playoff pool of 170 people is probably the hardest thing in the world to do. Some people might argue quantum physics or a Rubik’s cube. There are so many talent players in this league right now and the beauty of the playoffs is you never know who will step up and be the next John Druce or R.J. Umberger. I applauded my friend Adam for winning last year, still waiting for my Ruth Chris Steak, ummm yummy, and will do the same for the lucky bastard that comes out on top this year. Here is my team feel free to make fun or give me $20 because you are that impressed. Ovechkin, Malkin, Parise, Zetterberg, Briere, Savard, Boyes, Nash, E. Staal, Marleau, Phaneuf, Rozsival, Hamrlik, S. Niedermayer, Luongo, and Khabibulin.

Just a note I was reading through Elias for those fans of teams that lost Game 1. In NHL best-of-seven series, the winner of Game 2 has gone 381-150—winning 71.8 percent of the series. I have always believed that Game 2 is more important than Game 1. I know you want to set a tone for a series by winning at your own place or stealing home ice by winning game 1, but you lose then win the next game obviously you are back to square one. It’s like quitting your job at Dunder Mifflin and working for Michael Scott’s Paper Company. So good news for all those Capitals, Hurricanes, Flyers and Blues fans as they watch their games on Friday night. By the way if you are in charge of the remote control during two playoff games do not leave the room.

Now for my Thursday segment called top shelf, or goal scorer to watch. Nathan Gerbe had 30 goals as a rookie for the Portland Pirates, feels weird not saying Rochester, and now he faces talented Providence goalie Tuukka Rask. Portland the 3rd seed upset the mini Bruins in Game 1, and Gerbe had 4 shots. I have to root for a guy that more resembles a lollipop guild member than a professional hockey player. Well the last game has ended and like Martin Havlat I am getting out of this place.

First Night Jitters

2009-04-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

So first night so far some surprises, not like the one about Stan Marsh pine wood derby car goes into warp space. I am very interested to see Detroit start their title defense verses a team making the franchise’s first ever playoff appearance. I am also glad that the NHL playoffs don’t take like a week off in between games like the NBA, but don’t get me started on that selfish league. But I digress, back to the defending champions, how the best team gets the best available player in the off season on a ONE year deal! That is like Ryan Seacrest waking up in the morning and realizing he can sing, just not fair. The Detroit Red Wings are put in my penalty box, 2 minutes for thievery.

As I watch the Canucks-Blues game, there is nothing like watching a hockey game in Canada. Makes me think about how the Leafs have not been in the running in a while. This thought brings me to my fearless prediction of the night. OH MAN we almost got to know the Janitors real name tonight on Scrubs. Maple Leafs will trade with the Islanders for John Tavares the kid from Oakville, Ontario. The Islanders are not one player away, and though Mike Milbury is not the GM and the backup goalie is, the Islanders would love to pluck a couple of prospects and picks for just one player. Maybe it will make up for how much they had to give up for both Yashin and DiPietro combined (Chara, Muckalt, Spezza and Roberto Luongo).

Last thought of the night before I retire to bed, unless the Blues come back and force triple OT, is my one-timer. This will be the one thing I want to see happen by the end of the week. I want to see a game end around 2 am, so I know that the playoffs have begun.

The Hat Trick

2009-04-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the second season as I am sitting here watching the American Idol contestants sing their hearts out, did Adam Lambert just lick his lips at Ryan Seacrest? I am excited to start this new venture blogging about the sport I love. From an early age I would go to the cul-de-sac, wear my Ron Sutter jersey and play for hours until you couldn’t see the ball in the moonlight anymore. From the Mylec’s to the composites, this sport has taken my blood. Now on to the reason you came to this blog. First post is the HAT TRICK, my top three questions I am looking at in this year’s run at Lord Stanley’s Cup:

1) Can the Sharks get over the hump? A team with so much talent and promise has not been able to get into the Western Conference Finals. Although Claude Lemieux puts their average age around 100, the Sharks seem deeper, healthier and more focused to make a long playoff run. But I honestly think this team will not get over that hump. The Red Wings are too tough, and even the Ducks are a difficult first round opponent.

2) Is Alex Ovechkin ready for a long playoff run? We saw glimpses of this amazing talent in last year’s 7 games. He is such a dominant force like Lemieux, so fun to watch. I think despite the goalie question Boy Danny Gokey singing endless love, where is the zamboni driver from Happy Gilmore? The Great 8 will be ready to take center stage just like at the All-Star festivities and maybe even make some non hockey fans tune in.

3) Who is the dark horse that no one is talking about? We have heard about the haves but how ‘bout the Who the Puck? I am really in love with the Chicago Blackhawks, not just because Nikolai Khabibulin single-handedly won me my fantasy hockey league, but because ever since the passing of their old president, Mr. William W. Wirtz, this team has done everything in the right direction: Holding the Winter Classic at Wrigley, setting attendance records and stealing Patrick Sharp from the Flyers. This team might be able to break that Chicago curse, but the question is will it be reported before or after Jay Cutler’s first pass at the team’s OTA or Kevin Gregg’s 5th blown save?

WELCOME!!

2009-04-14T10:36:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the blog that is all about the greatest sport on earth. From the NHL to AHL to Major Juniors, this will be the place to go for the best posts and insight