tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271769382024-03-08T07:56:49.850-08:00The Hockey FileVicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-8179316025820406022013-01-06T20:10:00.000-08:002013-01-06T20:14:34.152-08:00So we have a deal…<br />
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Well, hockey fans…months
and months of pointless posturing, lost revenues and who knows just how much
lost respect later…and we finally…maybe…have a deal to salvage what’s left of
the 2012-13 National Hockey League season.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Okay, let’s make one
thing clear- the NHL and NHL Player’s Association have reached a <i>tentative</i> deal, meaning it still needs
to be ratified by the PA and the owners in a vote of their constituents…and,
given all the stupidity we’ve seen in this whole process, a “no” vote surely
doesn’t seem out of the question.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I digress, though,
and hold out hope that the fact that we have a tentative agreement is an
indication that the stupidity is done. Of course, the question now is- what’s
next?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Like I did with the
lockout, examining who won and who lost with this agreement would be pointless,
because we all know who the real losers are- the fans. You know, the ones who
actually generate the revenues for the sport and the ones who the players and
the owners will ultimately have to answer to for their absolutely abhorrent
behaviour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So what do we, as
the fans, do? Getting pouty and angry won’t mean much if there’s no action in
the end- if we come back in droves and take in the game like we did before then
it sends the league no message. Nor will it send them any kind of message if we
protest for merely weeks or even just the rest of the year- no, the actions
have to continue for years to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Oh sure, the league
is going to try to woo us all back. They’ll pull all the tricks. However, we
cannot be fooled- unless the league shows us some <i>actual</i> change and not some fancy façade, it doesn’t deserve any of
us back. So, hockey fans, don’t let the league pull the wool over your eyes- be
skeptical, be critical and, most importantly of all, <i>do</i> something. Don’t just mouth a few words in anger and then splurge
on the NHL like you did before- vote with your feet, visibly protest and
continue doing so until the league has really changed, no matter how long that
takes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I have a forum, and
I’ll be far less conciliatory. The time for complacency is done- it’s time for
all of us to show the league that we won’t be taken for granted again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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-DG<o:p></o:p></div>
Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-27575601409758236172012-11-04T18:04:00.000-08:002012-11-04T18:04:32.198-08:00A word on the NHL Lockout<br />
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Okay, so I’ve been silent on the NHL lockout to this point. Although I
would rather remain silent on the topic, I feel it wouldn’t do any justice for
my readers not to know why I haven’t weighed in on it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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See, I could go into the issues. Analyze the numbers. Discuss about
which side is more correct than the other, if one side really is more correct.
However, doing that would lend credence to this fight, of which I can find no
rational justification for.</div>
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<br /></div>
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You see, back in 2004, a lot of fans thought the game was in trouble.
The divide between the “rich” and the “poor” teams had started to engulf
hockey, and while much of that divide was fuelled by the owners’ own
incompetence regarding the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement at the
time, the lack of a salary cap did seem to really affect competitive balance.
Back then, when the NHL said they needed to institute a salary cap and would do
whatever it took to do it, we believed them, and we, as fans, thought that even
though the prospect of a lost season was upsetting, we understood that the game
was in a serious malaise and if we had to sacrifice a season for the long term
gain of hockey, we’d be prepared to do it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For the first few seasons, it seemed to work. Canadian teams not named “Toronto
Maple Leafs” were profitable again. The “small market” Carolina Hurricanes won
the 2006 Stanley Cup and other “small market” teams like the Phoenix Coyotes
and Florida Panthers experienced successful seasons. Revenues nearly doubled
since 2003-04, the last full season played before the new CBA took effect.
Hockey now even had the Winter Classic as an added revenue generator, and stars
like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin appeared to make hockey more visible
in the United States, where the league had been fighting for visibility for
decades. When the Los Angeles Kings romped their way to the Stanley Cup this
past spring, hockey seemed to have a heartwarming story of a Cinderella beating
the odds to win the Cup, with the added bonus of playing in a city guaranteed
to generate hockey its visibility. Everything was looking up.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Now…this. It defies explanation.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Does hockey have its issues? Yes. The divide between the rich and the
poor, though not as pronounced as in years past, was still present. We have
teams sign absolutely insane contracts for its players as a way to circumvent
the salary cap. Player movement, and subsequently, team improvement was
stagnant if not existent. Problems, yes, but they weren’t issues that, with a
little bit of discussion couldn’t be resolved- all hockey needed was greater
revenue sharing, a better split of the revenues between the players and the
owners and a cap on contract lengths. Nothing Earth-shattering or as radical as
introducing the salary cap in 2004, which would have meant changing the entire
economic framework of the game, unlike now where the framework just needs a few
tweaks.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Yet, what are we stuck with? A long, entrenched war between the players
and the owners that has featured more than its fair share of bickering,
backstabbing and emotional outbursts, and very little in the way of actual discussion.
These are people who are supposed to work together?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Perhaps Gary Bettman is afraid of Donald Fehr, who steered the Major
League Baseball Players’ Association to what was a major victory for the
players when they successfully went on strike to avoid a salary cap. The strike
back then was so destructive for the game that MLB, despite the fact its
economic framework is in serious need of repair to restore competitive balance,
has steadfastly refused to take any sort of labour action to correct the issue,
which has led to the steady erosion of baseball’s disillusioned fanbase. This past
World Series between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants, was the
worst rated Series of all time, and Series ratings since 1996 have yet to come
close to pre-strike levels. Baseball’s fanbase has also gotten older (the
average age of a baseball fan is 43), as younger fans turn to basketball and
football for their entertainment. So driving a stake into Fehr and the NHL
Players’ Association’s proverbial hearts might just be in Bettman’s long term
interests.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For their part, it’s possible that Fehr and the players see this as an
opportunity to rid themselves of the cap. There have been a few noises in that
regard, and the players have been very vocal about the owners’ stupidity
regarding contracts. So taking a philosophical stand against the cap just may
make sense, especially if the players can call attention to their employers’
own incompetence without much fear of retribution.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Is this really all worth it though? The players and the league may have
their reasons for engaging in their fight, but it’s not productive for hockey
as a whole. CBA negotiations shouldn’t be about “who is right” and “who is
wrong”- it should be about getting the best deal possible for the industry. If
we are going to have a long term fight, it should be about correcting what ills
hockey as a whole, not to assuage the petty egos of both sides of the conflict.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We all know there’s a deal to be done and that it should have been done
a long time ago. The fact that it hasn’t means that neither side cares about
the industry- and by extension, the fans- and cares only about themselves. Now,
even if a deal is done next week, the damage might already be done: we’ve had
games needlessly canceled and the fanbase again disillusioned, convinced that
the league and the players are nothing but childish, coddled, millionaires. At
least in 2004 this all made sense. Now, in 2012, none of it does- and who knows
if the fans will ever come back.</div>
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<br /></div>
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-DG</div>
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<br /></div>
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P.S. For those of you wondering what I'm up to, I have another blog I'm updating more frequently. It's the <a href="http://eastcup.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">East Cup Blog</a>, which is about a fictitious hockey world I've created. It's meant as a commentary about what I believe the hockey world should look like. It's still a work in progress and won't give you any real hockey, but I hope it will provide some enjoyment.</div>
Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-71665541110163892952012-05-14T17:19:00.001-07:002012-05-14T17:19:06.288-07:00Into The Crystal Ball: 2012 Conference Final Edition<br />
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What a second round. Though only one series went past five
games- the topsy-turvy New York Rangers’ seven game victory over the Washington
Capitals- it was still filled with surprises, as the upstart Phoenix Coyotes
and New Jersey Devils found ways to improbably win their way to the third round
against seemingly better opposition. Phoenix faces the Los Angeles Kings,
another upstart, while the Rangers and Devils continue the Rivalry of the
Hudson in a rematch of the epic 1994 Conference Final.</div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<b><u>Western Conference
Final<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>#3 Phoenix Coyotes
vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings.</b> The story for the Coyotes has been Mike Smith.
Constantly outshot game after game, Phoenix has gotten past the Chicago
Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators on the back of Smith, who has been
echoing the work of Jean-Sebastien Giguere when he went on his amazing run for
the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in their 2003 Cinderella run. The problem is, the
Coyotes are *just* Smith and they’re giving up way too many scoring chances and
have yet to play against a team that can bury those chances. The Kings,
unfortunately for Phoenix, are one of those teams, whose forward depth is
anything unlike the Coyotes have faced so far in these playoffs. The ‘Yotes may
be a feel good story, but unfortunately for them, the story will end quickly in
the third round. <b>Kings 4, Coyotes 0<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<b><u>Eastern Conference
Final<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>#1 New York Rangers
vs. #6 New Jersey Devils.</b> The Hudson River Showdown, the first since 2008
and the first time in the Conference Final since the memorable 1994 showdown
that was decided in double overtime by Stephane Matteau. The particulars are
different here- though Martin Brodeur is still in the New Jersey net, the
Devils are the offensive team this time and the Rangers are the defensive one.
New Jersey is this far due to the emergence of Ilya Kovalchuk into a playoff
threat after years of being solely a regular season player as well as the
resurgence of Brodeur, who is looking more like the 31-year-old who last led
the Devils to their third Cup in 2003 than the 40-year-old who has had to dog
chatter that he’s over the hill. Still, the Devils face a team that’s better
defensively than any other they’ve faced this post-season, as the Ranger shot
blocking machines- led by Dan Girardi and Marc Staal- and the game’s best
two-way player in Brad Richards, will make the Devils’ offence- which doesn’t
get much production from the point to begin with- very hard to come by. This
will still be a competitive series, but the Rangers’ defence should win the
day. <b>Rangers 4, Devils 2<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<b><u>Stanley Cup Final<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>E#1 New York Rangers
vs. W#8 Los Angeles Kings.</b> The two epicentres of the United States, this is
the dream Final for the NHL. It may not have the sex appeal that it should,
since both the Rangers and Kings have somewhat flown under the radar, but it
should still create a buzz. The series will be strength versus strength, as the
Rangers’ stoic defence squares off against the flashy Kings offence, mirroring
their respective cities. Thus, whoever wins this series will be the one that
can counter the other team’s strengths the best, and the Kings- whose defence
has proven capable whereas the Rangers have yet to provide consistent offence-
are the best bet to do that against New York. <b>Kings 4, Rangers 2<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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-DG</div>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-51629919964274130132012-04-27T17:12:00.000-07:002012-04-27T17:12:00.749-07:00Into The Crystal Ball: 2012 Conference Semi-final Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Question: How do you top a first round with three Game 7’s,
each a one goal game and two going to overtime, with three upsets (Kings,
Capitals, Coyotes) and a Western Conference situation that guarantees a Sun
Belt franchise will be in the Cup Final? By turning the clock to May and seeing
what surprises lie ahead.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Eastern Conference</u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Semi-finals</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>#1 New York Rangers
vs. #7 Washington Capitals:</b> Prevailing opinion in this series is that the
Capitals would be no match against a defensive team with a great goaltender,
but it was against the Bruins too and we know what happened. The Rangers have
more speed, but not the guns to keep up with the upstart Capitals. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Capitals 4, Rangers 2</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>#5 Philadelphia
Flyers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils:</b> These aren’t your father’s Devils, as New
Jersey is more of a fun-and-gun, freewheeling kind of team than the staid
defenders of years past. Then again, these aren’t your father’s Flyers, who are
also more of a fun-and-gun, freewheeling kind of team than the brute attackers
of years past. Only difference is that the Flyers actually have blueliners,
whereas the Devils don’t, though this should be a fun, close series. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Flyers 4, Devils 3</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Finals</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>#5 Philadelphia
Flyers vs. #7 Washington Capitals:</b> Is this where the Capitals’ magic runs
out? Yes. After two rounds where the Caps’ defence wasn’t tested, the Flyers
will come at them with wave after wave. If it isn’t Claude Giroux hurting them
it’s Scott Hartnell or Daniel Briere or Jaromir Jagr or super rookies Sean
Couturier or Matt Read or Brayden Scheen or the rugged Wayne Simmonds. This won’t
be close at all. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Flyers 4, Capitals 0</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Western Conference</u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Semi-finals</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>#2 St. Louis Blues
vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings:</b> Let’s make something abundantly clear: yes, the
Kings’ victory over the Canucks is an upset, but it’s not as big as many think.
Los Angeles is a good team, with a deep forward cast and a great goaltender,
who are only now finding their stride. They should be where the Blues are and
would be if the first half of their season wasn’t garbage. St. Louis was full
marks for beating a San Jose Sharks team that, despite the Sharks’ superior
offence, just couldn’t break through the Blues’ stout defence and superior
goaltending, though the Blues are going to have their hands full against a
Kings team that can score just as well as San Jose can- only this time, they
can stop the puck just as well as the Blues can. St. Louis will make this close
but the Kings are too deep. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kings 4,
Blues 2</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>#3 Phoenix Coyotes
vs. #4 Nashville Predators:</b> This series is billed as “system vs. system”,
with two teams that play the same way playing each other. Truth is, we’ve got
two teams who are more workmanlike than star-studded that play responsible
hockey but with a lot of speed. It’s going to be a fun series but Nashville has
the edge since they have the better goaltender and the better defence- no one
seems to be a match for the Predators’ super duo Shea Weber and Ryan Suter,
with Kevin Klein emerging as a force. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Predators
4, Coyotes 2</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Finals</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>#4 Nashville
Predators vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings:</b> This series will pit the Kings’ offence
against the Predators’ defence, since those are each team’s relative strengths.
This series is so close, it’s like splitting hairs and whoever wins the matchup
battles- Shea Weber/Ryan Suter/Kevin Klein vs. Anze Kopitar/Mike Richards/Jeff Carter/Dustin
Brown, Pekka Rinne vs. Jonathan Quick- wins the series. Since I have to pick, I
have to pick the Kings- they have the size to match up with the Predators, and
they’re responsible enough defensively that their depth on offence should break
them through, though this series will be extremely close. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kings 4, Predators 3</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Stanley Cup Finals</u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>E#5 Philadelphia Flyers
vs. W#8 Los Angeles Kings:</b> If you look at both teams and think you’re
looking in the mirror, it’s because you are. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They’re the exact same team</i>. They both play an abrasive, exciting
brand of hockey with lots of skill, the Flyers doing it with speed and the
Kings with size, with two quality goaltenders. The advantage goes to
Philadelphia, who, despite having slightly inferior goaltending to the Kings,
have the superior blueline, which will be enough to make up the gap in net. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Flyers 4, Kings 2</b></div>
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-DG</div>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-45459756926687300652012-04-09T23:40:00.000-07:002012-04-09T23:41:02.507-07:00Into The Crystal Ball: 2012 Playoff Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> 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mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]-->When the clock turns to April, there’s only thing left to do: turn to everyone’s favourite orb to tell you just how the Stanley Cup Playoffs will work itself out. <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>Eastern Conference</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Quarterfinals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#1 New York Rangers vs. #8 Ottawa Senators:</b> The Senators rediscovered themselves with speed and defence but the problem is so too did the Rangers, who not only possess the better goaltender but better overall personnel. This should be quick. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Rangers 4, Senators 0</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#2 Boston Bruins vs. #7 Washington Capitals:</b> About the only thing going in Washington’s favour is that Nicklas Backstrom is back in the lineup. Unfortunately, that’s all they have going for them. The Bruins won their Cup last year wearing down skilled teams like the Capitals, and, considering Washington’s goaltending woes and Boston’s prowess in net, there’s hardly any reason to think Boston won’t make quick work of the Caps. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Bruins 4, Capitals 0</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#3 Florida Panthers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils:</b> The Devils re-enter the playoffs after a one year hiatus, the Panthers after eleven years, so guess who will be rustier. The good news is that these ain’t your father’s Devils, so the Panthers should be able to put up quite a fight, and you have to ask questions about Ilya Kovalchuck’s mental toughness on the Devils’ side. Still, the Devils have enough playoff moxie- and greater depth- to see them past the Panthers, though it will be tough. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Devils 4, Panthers 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers:</b> You know times are different when it’s the Penguins- not the Flyers- being accused of dirty play (with one of those accusations coming from the Flyers), but such are the times we live in. It’s no secret that the Pens haven’t been the greatest of sportsmen in recent weeks, and you have to wonder if they can bury the antics long enough to let their skill shine through. Pittsburgh has made gains this season- no longer are they just Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and some spare parts, there’s some genuine depth in the form of James Neal (40 goals), Chris Kunitz (26), Pascal Dupuis (25), Jordan Staal (25), Matt Cooke (19) and Steve Sullivan (17). The Flyers, though, can match Pittsburgh’s depth, with Claude Giroux (28 goals and 93 points), Scott Hartnell (37 goals), Jaromir Jagr (19), Wayne Simmonds (28) and super rookie Matt Read (24). Philadelphia has also received better rearguard play (slightly) and ostensibly has the better goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov, but Bryzgalov has been up and down whereas Marc-Andre Fleury is a proven playoff goaltender. I lean Pittsburgh’s way because of it, but this will be very close. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Penguins 4, Flyers 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Semi-finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#1 New York Rangers vs. #6 New Jersey Devils:</b> Their first meeting in the playoffs since Sean Avery’s buffoonery with Martin Brodeur should play out much like the last time- minus the antics. In 2008, the Rangers disposed of the Devils with their superior depth, and this time they have even more of it to call upon with the additions of Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik, not to mention the fact Broduer himself is a shadow of his former self. It adds up to the Rangers becoming the first team since the 1985 Edmonton Oilers to start a playoff year 8-0. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Rangers 4, Devils 0</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#2 Boston Bruins vs. #4 Pittsburgh Penguins: </b>Skill vs. braun, antics vs….well, more antics; and two Conn Smythe goalies going head to head. Paper suggests that this should be a runaway for the Penguins, but so did it for the Canucks last year in the Cup Final and we all know what happened. The way this looks, it’s déjà-vu all over again- the Penguins come in skilled but ansty while the Bruins come in tough and stingy. Close series but again a Bruin win. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Bruins 4, Penguins 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#1 New York Rangers vs. #2 Boston Bruins: </b>You have two great defensive teams with great goaltenders squaring off for the Eastern final, one that uses speed (Rangers) and one that uses braun (Bruins). In fact, it’ll be so stingy that the first team that gets to four goals gets to win the series. In this case, the Rangers should do it since they have the firepower (the series’ only forty goal man in Gaborik) the Bruins do not, but it will be very close. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Rangers 4, Bruins 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>Western Conference</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Los Angeles Kings:</b> The Kings were supposed to be world-beaters this season with the addition of Mike Richards to the team while the Canucks have been world-beaters- with or without Daniel Sedin. On paper, this is an even matchup (which should count for something) but Los Angeles is far too inconsistent to take seriously. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Canucks 4, Kings 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#2 St. Louis Blues vs. #7 San Jose Sharks:</b> There’s a saying: beware of the good team that had a bad year. There’s another saying too: beware of the bad team that had a good year. While the Blues don’t qualify as a bad team, there’s no doubt they’re overachievers, basing much of their success on the backs of goaltenders Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott and coach Ken Hitchcock’s defensive scheme than raw talent. The Sharks, meanwhile, return many of the same players that dominated the West for years, and, while they haven’t dominated like in years past, they still have plenty going for them in these playoffs. St. Louis has made a lot of strides, but the Sharks’ playoff savvy should see them past the green Blues. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Sharks 4, Blues 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #6 Chicago Blackhawks:</b> Lost in the hoopla about the Coyotes’ imminent turn to Quebec City is the fact that this is the Coyotes franchise’s first division title in their history. Won’t mean much in this series since the ‘Yotes are outmatched against Chicago, but not by much. Phoenix finally has the skill to match their work ethic, but the ‘Hawks are a deeper bunch. If Jonathan Toews returns, this could be a quick series, otherwise it’ll be a long one. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Blackhawks 4, Coyotes 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#4 Nashville Predators vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings:</b> Now that Alexander Radulov is back in a Predator uniform this series becomes much more interesting. The Predators come in much more structured and poised than previous incarnations and now they finally have the firepower to compete with Detroit, who are a fading bunch heading into the postseason. The Wings still have more skill, but they have questions in net whereas Nashville does not, and the Predators can now say they’ll win the blueline battle. It’ll be very close but this time the Predators have the upper hand. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Predators 4, Red Wings 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Semi-finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #7 San Jose Sharks:</b> Hard to believe that with virtually the same cast in both cases that this won’t go the same way that it did last year- in the Canucks’ way and quick. Might even be quicker considering the Sharks aren’t as good as they were last year and the Canucks are better. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Canucks 4, Sharks 0</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#4 Nashville Predators vs. #6 Chicago Blackhawks: </b>This will be the year the Predators vanquish their playoff foes, as they’re the team on the rise and their foes will be the ones on the decline. This time, it’s the Blackhawks, who, while stronger than a year ago, still have a ways to go before they’re back as Cup contenders. Nashville, however, is already there, with a deeper blueline, a great goaltender and finally some forwards they can hang their hats on. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Predators 4, Blackhawks 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #4 Nashville Predators:</b> Amazingly, the Predators’ run will match them up against every team that defeated them in the playoffs, and the Canucks will be their last test. I know I said this would be the year they would vanquish their playoff foes, but it only came with the qualifier that the team be on the decline. Vancouver isn’t on the decline- far from it, actually. This is a better Canuck team than the one that Nashville played a year ago- they finally have size in their top six and have actually filled it out, combined with a talented bottom six- so while Nashville should provide a fight, they’ll see they still need a few pieces to really get over the hump. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Canucks 4, Predators 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>Stanley Cup Finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">#W1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #E1 New York Rangers:</b> 1994 rematch, with the Canucks this time with home ice, and prospects of a much more even series. The two teams are a clash of styles- the whirling dervishes of the Canucks against the workmanlike, stingy Rangers- and both play it so well that this series will go back and forth. In the end, though, the Canucks have been here before and will want to atone for last season’s mistake, and they can play the defensive game as well as the Rangers, whereas the Rangers can’t score with the Canucks. It’ll be a close series but this will be the ultimate revenge for 1994. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Canucks 4, Rangers 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-89113398921534705622012-03-11T22:31:00.001-07:002012-03-11T22:31:38.242-07:00Time for Brian Burke’s swan song<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> 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mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]-->At the end of November, the Toronto Maple Leafs were flying high, sitting third in the Eastern Conference, with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul forming a formidable offensive duo that could rival the league’s best. At Christmas, the Leafs had fallen from the Northeast summit but were still comfortably in the playoff picture in sixth place, good enough to give then head coach Ron Wilson a contract extension. <p class="MsoNormal">Fast forward to now, following a heartbreaking 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals in a frustrating weekend that saw the Leafs not score a single goal. Since achieving such lofty heights early in the season, Toronto now sits a season high eight points out of the playoffs, being closer to the last place Montreal Canadiens (still hard to swallow) by being just four points up. The Leafs have won a league-worst five times since the All-Star break, with two of those victories coming against the hapless Edmonton Oilers, fired Wilson and have a team that looks nothing like the team everyone thought was supposed to take the ice at the start of the season.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What makes this season worse is that- should the Florida Panthers qualify for the playoffs (a likely scenario at this stage) the Leafs will remain the only club to have not qualified for the playoffs since The Lockout. Toronto’s streak of seven straight non-playoff years will be the longest active drought. Only five players currently play in the National Hockey League that have ever played a single playoff game for the Maple Leafs- Matt Stajan, Steve Sullivan, Tomas Kaberle, Nikolai Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky. Three others- Adam Mair, Karel Pilar and Danny Markov- are also still active but are not in the NHL, Mair being stuck in the American Hockey League, Pilar skates in Sweden and Markov skating in Russia.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There’s only one person to blame for this mess and that’s General Manager Brian Burke, whose quest to remake the team has turned one kind of mess into a different kind of mess. The team Burke inherited from John Ferguson Jr. was one of virtually unmovable veteran has-beens that had outlived their usefulness, and while Burke has done a great job moving those parts, instead of replacing them with something resembling a competitive hockey team, the result is another hodgepodge of parts who haven’t executed quite the way that it was planned.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Coming into the season, the Leafs’ primary strength- as is the case with all Burke teams- was supposed to be its blueline, and with players like Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek, Calle Gunnarsson, Cody Franson, John-Michael Liles and promising youngsters Luke Schenn, Keith Aulie and Jake Gardiner, there was little to doubt that assessment. It has remained the team’s strongest component, but it still isn’t coming as advertised- Phaneuf has been dominant but is often stuck on an island with mismatched partners, Komisarek has been a defensive liability all season and has been in and out of the lineup, Aulie was inexplicably traded for a career minor leaguer, Gunnarsson has been effective enough to play but has regressed this season, Schenn has also regressed and Liles has been a relative disappointment. Only Franson has come as advertised and Gardnier has been a pleasant surprise, but that’s been it for the bright spots on the Leaf blueline.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The rest of the team has been much worse. Lupul was a pleasant surprise, and part of the blame for the Leafs’ recent struggles has been his absence, though the slump began while he was still with the team. Kessel has recorded another 30-goal season with 34 goals so far and could still hit 40 by season’s end, an impressive feat given that he doesn’t have much help up front. Tim Connolly was signed to be Kessel’s help, but all he’s done is prove why the Buffalo Sabres let him walk last year. Mikhail Grabovski has put together a solid season as a dependable second-line player but just got re-signed inexplicably at a first-line rate. Nikolai Kulemin has slumped badly this year after a career year last year. Clarke MacArthur has quietly put up 19 goals this season and Tyler Bozak has quietly put up 38 points but neither fill the role as solid top six threats. Joey Crabb and Matt Frattin have been pleasant, bottom six surprises but that’s been it for the bright spots on forward. In net, there doesn’t need much to be said- neither James Reimer or Jonas Gustavsson have been consistent, quality netminders all season long and, although Reimer looks more like a No. 1 goaltender than Gustavsson does, it’s debatable that Reimer is close to that status as the season winds down.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We could move from here and discuss what the Leafs need to do this summer- find a legitimate No. 1 centre, acquire a veteran goaltender that can fill in as a starter while Reimer develops, do something with Komisarek, etc.- but I’m here to suggest something else: it’s time for the Leafs to start seriously looking at other options at GM, and think outside the box.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have a friend who is a Blue Jay fan. We were talking about the Leafs yesterday and he suggested that the Leafs follow the same path that the Jays did and hire a “nobody” as a GM, the reasoning being that in a big market, you “establish” your name. While it’s debatable whether or not it will work for the Jays (though the path looks nice), it did get me thinking- this did work in hockey; and one only needs to look at the league’s most successful franchise of the past twenty years to see how.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In 1997, the Detroit Red Wings decided that little known Ken Holland would replace their old GM tandem of former great Jim Devellano and Scotty Bowman. Coming off their first Stanley Cup since 1955 the move was risky, but the move paid off- Holland not only repeated the following year, but wound up winning again in 2002 and in 2008, proving his capabilities in a cap-less and a capped world. His teams have never missed the playoffs and have been a Cup contender in every season, including this one.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, Holland did have a long career with the Wings already and he did have some help in the front office with the great minds of Bowman and Devellano at first, but this is still unmistakably Holland’s team that he alone built. It speaks volumes that in a hockey fishbowl that is Detroit the team decided to pass the mantle to a relative unknown instead of hiring a “proven” commodity to lead the team, and not only has Holland managed in that environment, he’s thrived. An unknown has nothing to lose- if he fails, you chalk it up to a lack of experience and let him pursue other opportunities, while if he succeeds, it’ll be the greatest “little guy” story ever.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Obviously the first reaction for Leaf fans at this suggestion would be consternation- for a franchise that now has the longest Cup drought in NHL history, logic would dictate it’s better to have someone that “knows what they’re doing” than to give the reins to someone who, presumably, doesn’t. However, we’ve had four seasons of Burke, someone who should “know what they’re doing”, and all he’s shown is that he just seems to be making things up as he goes along, and isn’t giving the team much of a foundation for the future. What else explains the decision to trade two first round draft picks for Kessel? It might be true that was a miscalculation whereby the team did much worse than Burke expected, but the truth is this mistake is costing the Leafs big time, and the youngsters Burke has assembled on his team weren’t drafted by him- Gardiner was an Anaheim Duck pick, Kulemin came from Ferguson (as did Reimer), promising youngster Joe Colbourne was a Boston Bruin pick, and Schenn was a pick from the Cliff Fletcher interim days. Burke’s own picks, headlined by Nazem Kadri, have proven to be flops thus far in their careers- of the top 10 picks in the 2009 Draft (where Kadri came from) only Kadri and Dallas Stars pick Scott Glennie (who went eighth) are not NHL regulars. It may still be true that the Leaf picks can still pan out- Kadri is, after all, 21- but considering the Leafs could have selected Jared Cowan (a fixture on the Ottawa Senators’ blueline) or Marcus Johansson (a fixture on the Capitals’ forward corps), it’s hard not to think Burke could have done better with his pick.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is it time to get rid of Burke if Toronto doesn’t make a surprising push to the playoffs this season? I’m thinking he may deserve one more year to see if he can right the ship, but I am thinking now’s the time to start the conversation about finding a replacement. Burke has now had four years for this team to start showing signs of life, and every year the team winds up performing the same- show some flashes of brilliance only to flounder to mediocrity by season’s end. Four years of this is unacceptable- five years is reprehensible. It’s time we start thinking of replacements, and instead of finding another Burke, let’s find another Holland- because a guy with nothing to lose is sure doing a lot better than someone who will find out he had everything to lose.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-40471369079040879362011-10-23T18:40:00.000-07:002011-10-23T18:44:39.770-07:00DG's Hat Trick- October 23, 2011<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> 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Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">THE CRYSTAL BALL, PREDICTIONS FOR 2011-12:</b> I know I’m late with this, but I’ve been busy and it’s still early enough in the season to write it up. <p class="MsoNormal">Here’s how it will all shake down:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Regular Season</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Eastern Conference</b></p> <ol><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Washington Capitals</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>New York Rangers</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Buffalo Sabres</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"></span></span>Tampa Bay Lightning</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Montreal Canadiens</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"></span></span>Pittsburgh Penguins</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"></span></span>Boston Bruins</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Winnipeg Jets</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Toronto Maple Leafs</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"></span></span>Philadelphia Flyers</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Carolina Hurricanes</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>New Jersey Devils</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Florida Panthers</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>Ottawa Senators</li><li><span style="mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;font-family:Calibri;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""></span></span></span>New York Islanders</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal">Don’t be fooled by the Rangers’ ranking as a No. 2- the Eastern Conference is weak, with only two real contenders for the Cup in Washington and Tampa Bay. The rest of the teams are essentially competitive playoff teams right down to the tenth-ranked Flyers. The Leafs and the Flyers are the odd teams out in this equation because both have way too many question marks to guarantee a playoff berth, with Toronto banking on the perpetually fragile Tim Connolly to be Phil Kessel’s setup man and Philadelphia trading most of its offence for Ilya Bryzgalov, who has elite level talent but has a tendency to choke at the biggest moments. The Jets- the old Atlanta Thrashers- make a return to the playoffs in their first season in Winnipeg, as the Thrashers were on the rise last season. As for Pittsburgh, their position is fluid- since Sidney Crosby has no set return date and Evgeni Malkin is still feeling the effects of his knee injury, the Penguins’ performance depends on how much service they get out of both players. If neither are available for a lengthy amount of time, Pittsburgh could miss the playoffs entirely but if they are only ineffective for a short period of time, the Pens should be comfortably in the playoffs. Sixth, thus, is a reasonable compromise, since I believe the Penguins will have a healthy Crosby and Malkin sooner rather than later. The Sabres are the East’s darkhorse- the additions of Robyn Regehr and Christian Erhoff gives Buffalo a formidable top three on defence with super youngster Tyler Myers, meaning it will be even more difficult to score on Ryan Miller and the Sabres.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Western Conference</b></p> <ol><li>San Jose Sharks (President’s Trophy Winner)</li><li>Vancouver Canucks</li><li>Detroit Red Wings</li><li>Los Angeles Kings</li><li>Anaheim Ducks</li><li>Columbus Blue Jackets</li><li>Nashville Predators</li><li>St. Louis Blues</li><li>Chicago Blackhawks</li><li>Dallas Stars</li><li>Edmonton Oilers</li><li>Calgary Flames</li><li>Phoenix Coyotes</li><li>Colorado Avalanche</li><li>Minnesota Wild</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal">San Jose wins the West because the Martin Havlat trade gives them a dimension their top six hasn’t had in a while- speed. Before Havlat, this was a slow, plodding group, and with big bodies such as Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, he’ll have even more room to operate. He is fragile, though, but should play enough to be effective. The Canucks should also be in the thick of the Western crown chase, since only Christian Erhoff is gone from the team that dazzled the NHL last year, though Erhoff’s absence will be felt. Los Angeles also jumps into this mix with the addition of Mike Richards in the offseason, giving Anze Kopitar badly needed support and solidifying the Kings as the most physical team in the West. Detroit should win the weak Central in its sleep, but age has caught up to this group so don’t look for them to be serious Cup contenders. St. Louis jumps into the playoffs- barely- because they’re a young team that is on the rise, enough to push out a declining Chicago Blackhawks team. The Nashville Predators also sneak into the playoffs, since, although they suffered major losses in the offseason, Barry Trotz always seems to make it work, so I expect him to make it work this season. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers should make significant strides- their youth should start rounding into form and though it won’t pan out entirely this season, the Oilers should start to make some noise.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Playoffs</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Eastern Conference</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(8) Winnipeg 4, (1) Washington 3-</b> The Caps have had numerous problems with upstarts in recent years, and the Jets will be no exception.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(7) Boston 4, (2) NY Rangers 2-</b> Boston is built for the playoffs, and the Rangers just won’t be able to handle their size.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(3) Buffalo 4, (6) Pittsburgh 2-</b> The Pens have no offensive depth go up against a team with a stacked defence. Ain’t going to happen.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(4) Tampa Bay 4, (5) Montreal 2-</b> Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis will show Montreal why they need real offensive depth and not has-beens whose best years are behind them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(3) Buffalo 4, (8) Winnipeg 1-</b> The Jets don’t have any gamebreakers, making them easy pickings for the Buffalo defence.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(4) Tampa Bay 4, (7) Boston 3-</b> This will be another classic series because both teams are very evenly matched. The Lightning will have learned from their mistake last season and play more offensive, a game Boston can’t keep up with, and can now match them physically with Simon Gagne’s presence.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(4) Tampa Bay 4, (3) Buffalo 3-</b> Another classic series, the Buffalo defence against the Tampa offence. The Lightning will advance since the Sabres can’t match their scoring depth and Tampa’s defence is at least competent enough to stay with Buffalo, but it will be close.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Western Conference</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(1) San Jose 4, (8) St. Louis 0-</b> Yeah, the Blues beat the Sharks in this same capacity in 2000 but this is a different Sharks team- they know how to win and should easily dispose of the upstart Blues.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(2) Vancouver 4, (7) Nashville 2-</b> A replay of last year’s second round series and should play out exactly the same- Nashville will have the hunger but won’t have the horses to compete with the Canucks.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(6) Columbus 4, (3) Detroit 3-</b> The upset pick of the West, since the old Wings will show the hockey world that they’re firmly in decline whereas Columbus is a team on the rise.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(4) Los Angeles 4, (5) Anaheim 3-</b> The Battle of Los Angeles should be a lot of fun, since both are bruising outfits that love to score. The Kings should win the day since they’re deeper, but barely.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(1) San Jose 4, (6) Columbus 1-</b> Years before, the Jackets’ speed would have won the day. Not anymore, because now San Jose can skate with them, and should all the way to the next round.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(4) Los Angeles 4, (2) Vancouver 2-</b> Should be an evenly matched, close series which is doom for the Canucks, who always wilt under pressure. This time it should be no different, especially against the physical Kings who will hit them out of the playoffs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(1) San Jose 4, (4) Los Angeles 3-</b> Rematch of last year’s first round. Should be closer this time since the Kings have added horses, but it’ll still be San Jose’s day- the Sharks now have speed Los Angeles can’t match, though this could go into overtime of Game 7. It’s that close.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Stanley Cup Final</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">(W1) San Jose 4, (E4) Tampa Bay 2-</b> This will be the first ever Cup Final where no combatant will be north of the 40<sup>th</sup> parallel, which should make hockey purists nuts. Once they get past their prejudices about hockey in warm weather climates they’ll realize these are two vibrant hockey markets with very good teams- this should be a competitive, offensive series, only going to San Jose- finally- because the Sharks have that much more depth.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">SKEPTICISM ABOUT SHANAHAN:</b> If there can be a complaint about Brendan Shanahan, the league’s new disciplinarian, it won’t be because he’s too shy to make a move- in the last ten days of the preseason, Shanahan issued nine suspensions totalling 60 games, with another two game suspension handed out on October 8 to bring the season total to 62 games. To put that in perspective, last season the league didn’t hand out its 62<sup>nd</sup> game in suspensions until February 9, which represents a refreshingly aggressive approach in a league that desperately needs it. Shanahan has buttressed his approach with flashy videos (okay, they’re not really flashy) explaining why the suspension is what it is, giving him an air of accountability his predecessor, Colin Campbell, did not have. Furthermore, Shanahan is expressive and eloquent enough that his explanation is persuasive, another quality Campbell lacked.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, I have my doubts and it’s pretty obvious what they are. So far, none of the players Shanahan has suspended- aside, maybe, from Buffalo’s Brad Boyes- has been anyone of real impact, and undoubtedly a player of impact will do something silly that requires action. The main complaint against Campbell was that he was hesitant to do anything in these situations or “softened” the blow to ensure the team he plays for isn’t punished that much. What will Shanahan do if Tyler Myers, Chris Pronger, Alexander Ovechkin, Milan Lucic or any other impact player with a history of discipline problems do something that calls for action? Will Shanahan again waver, his explanation ringing hollow?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other part- and I’ve been saying this for years- is that the NHL still doesn’t have a set standard for infractions. Yes, Shanahan is persuasive in his arguments and you generally believe the call he made is the right one, but even he is showing signs of erraticism. The suspensions for hits to the head have varied- Clarke MacArthur received three games, Boyes received two, Brendan Smith eight and James Wisniewski 12. In Wisniewski’s and Smith’s cases, the victims were injured whereas in MacArthur’s and Boyes’ cases they weren’t. Wisniewski is a repeat offender so his case is a special one, but Smith, MacArthur and Boyes can be compared. First of all, if MacArthur and Boyes committed the same offence, they should receive identical suspensions and they didn’t. Second of all, if the standard is that injuries add to a suspension, why did Smith get an extra five games and Pierre Marc-Bouchard, another player without a record, only received two games for his offence (which was different, granted, but it still had the same result)? If the theory goes that if Bouchard’s victim, Matt Calvert, wasn’t injured that Bouchard wouldn’t be suspended, then shouldn’t Smith’s suspension be five games at the very most (which is three games, MacArthur’s suspension, plus two)? Simply put, these questions shouldn’t be asked, because randomness is the antithesis of discipline- if no two offenses receive the same punishment (or any punishment at all) then it can’t be a deterrent since players won’t know if the action will receive any discipline. If they don’t know they won’t care- and it’s business as usual again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(I feel like I’ve written that before…I hate sounding like a broken record but the league never seems to learn…sad really)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, it’s still early and Shanahan is new to the job, but there are still reasons for scepticism. His approach is refreshing so he deserves a chance, but unless he proves otherwise, there’s no reason to believe anything, unfortunately, has changed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">6,306 SHOW UP IN DALLAS- ANOTHER TEAM IN TROUBLE?:</b> The hawks always seem to be circling teams in the South, and no, we’re not talking about Jonathan Toews.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This time the target are the Dallas Stars, who on October 10 drew a paltry 6,306 fans to a home game against the Phoenix Coyotes. The game itself was pretty staid with a dramatic finish, with Sheldon Souray’s point shot in the final seconds redirected home by Loui Eriksson to knot the score at 1 with Mike Ribeiro netting the shootout winner later in the night. The initial story was how the win showed a resiliency in Dallas that was absent in the team’s collapse last season but the real story was the lack of fans in the stands.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It may be true that the Texas Rangers were down the I-20 walking off the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series, but that’s small potatoes for a team in Dallas that has been unstable for years. Ever since Tom Hicks put the team up for sale in 2009, the Stars have joined the cavalcade of teams- mostly, but not all, in the South- that are having financial problems. Hicks blames it on being “south of Pennsylvania” whereas the fans blame Hicks’ penchant for overpaying for veteran free agents in the Stars’ heyday for the Stars’ financial problems.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There could be some truth to Hicks’ statements. In Dallas’ Stanley Cup year, their payroll was $36 million (all figures U.S.). A year later, the payroll jumped to $46 million, enough for another Cup final run. Three seasons later in 2002-03 the Stars’ payroll jumped to $69.5 million, with it gaining $13 million for a $78 million count by the time the lockout hit. That’s an astronomical rise in such a short period, a rise that may have proven to be unsustainable. It’s worth mentioning that before the lockout the Canadian dollar was nowhere close to parity which affected the Canadian teams’ ability to compete financially, so the Canadian dollar’s rise against the greenback is a factor in Dallas’ competitiveness- the moment parity happened was when the Southern teams started really getting into trouble, because now the Canadian teams regained their financial muscle. Having said that, Dallas is the fourth largest market in the United States, too big to lose, and the team’s lack of success may have something to do with the team’s poor form as of late at the gate- this was a team that essentially grew hockey in Texas, an impact not felt anywhere else in the South.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It will still restart the rumblings about the viability of teams in the South, and will ask whether or not the Stars join the conversation. We won’t need to get into that debate- it’s been hashed and rehashed one too many times- but it brings the salient point that something does need to be done concerning the viability of franchises as a whole across the league. The current economic model, while better than the haphazard one that preceded it, hasn’t produced the results it was supposed to; and, as The FAN 590’s Bob McCown noted on his radio show, the NHL doesn’t have a lot of places to stick these struggling franchises. You have Quebec City, Kansas City and a whole lot of “maybes” and that’s it. Is it time to talk contraction? It may be the only option left.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One thing is for sure- this summer, the current collective bargaining agreement expires. You can bet we’ll be in for another long fight as the Southern teams look for financial sanity in a league that has yet to produce it. The sad part is that I’m not sure the NHL can survive another long stoppage- can a struggling league handle another lost season when it already lost one six years ago? All this because the league didn’t get it right the first time- and could pay the price the second time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">BONUS HIT:</b> A story out of Russia sees the Kontinental Hockey League potentially adding a team in Italy. The team, Milan’s Rossoblu (the “red-blues”), was told by the KHL that they have “the organization to join the league”. However, there’s already a lot of scepticism (as noted by Alessandro Seren Rosso) about the viability of a team in Italy, namely the lack of proper facilities (the Rossoblu have an arena that sits 4,500 and draws 1,000), regionalism (Italian hockey fans- and sports fans in general- tend to gravitate towards teams in their own country, not ones from distant lands that they do not know) and the lack of available talent that could compete at the KHL level. However, the KHL has said for years that it wishes to conquer Europe, and perhaps a team in Italy represents the kind of “outside of the box” thinking that could prove to give it a productive legacy. This will be a story to follow in the coming months.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-8328379803518861352011-08-18T15:21:00.000-07:002011-08-18T15:22:04.216-07:00DG’s Hat Trick- 2011 Midsummer Edition<p class="MsoNormal"><b>THE CANUCKS’ LOSS: THE UNEXPLAINABLE EXPLAINED:</b> It’s still hard to digest, British Columbia, isn’t it? The Vancouver Canucks, the NHL’s team of destiny this season, coming up one win short of the Stanley Cup, bowing meekly in Game 7 against the unheralded Boston Bruins to the tune of 4-0. “Shock” and “disbelief” pervade amongst much of Canucks Nation, many of whom were still likely wondering when Game 8 would be played.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(By the way, I know I’m very late getting to this...but I figure it’s about this time Canucks fans would realize that the game actually <i>did</i> happen, just like the unfortunate rioting that marred the city in its aftermath)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So how did a team that just couldn’t lose find a way to lose The Big One? For starters, you have to ask if this really was a different Canucks team than the one that choked in years past- aside from a slow start that culminated in a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of their arch nemesis Chicago Blackhawks, things this season went extremely well for Vancouver, right until about Game 3 of the Cup Final. It wasn’t until that Cup Final where the Canucks had less than three victories after four games in a playoff series, and it wasn’t until they lost the fateful Game 7 that Vancouver had even trailed in a series. Sure, they almost blew a 3-0 series lead to Chicago, but that’s a different kind of adversity than the one you’d face with a series deficit. Against Chicago, the Canucks already had the series “won”, they just let their guard down. A series deficit is different, since that means you’ve got to find a way to win a series you might not even think you’re supposed to win. To keep things in perspective, Vancouver has won just two series (out of 15) since 2001 when they faced a series deficit after four games- the 2003 Round 1 matchup with the St. Louis Blues when they were down 3-1 and the 2010 Round 1 matchup with the Los Angeles Kings, when they were down 2-1. By contrast, Boston won three series in 2011 when they faced a series deficit after four games, including in the Cup Final. Resiliency, therefore, is still lacking in Canada’s third largest city.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Leadership is also an issue. Despite Boston having the reputation for rough, physical play (which they used effectively in the series), it was Vancouver that resorted to cheap shots and theatrics during the series, from Aaron Rome’s hit on Nathan Horton to Jannik Hansen celebrating a goal he clearly did not score (nor was allowed to stand). Certainly Boston’s physical pressure and defensive alignment- a big part of the Bruins’ successful game plan- took away the space the Canucks were accustomed to and that would lead to frustrated antics, but it was also an indication there was no one in the dressing room to stand up and tell the team to play to their strengths instead of allowing Boston to get underneath their skin. By contrast, players like Mark Recchi, Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara- all veteran leaders- found a way to get the Bruins to stay the course even when things went fluey, such as when Horton, one of the team’s few pure goal scoring threats, got decked by Rome.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lastly, the Canucks really missed their goaltending. Yes, Roberto Luongo doesn’t deserve all of the blame for Vancouver’s loss- the choke was a team effort, not just him- but Louie does deserve to have his own part of the blame. There’s simply no excuse for him to allow three goals within the first eight minutes of Game 6 with Vancouver a win away from total victory, or for his ordinary performance in Game 7 or his downright pathetic performances in Games 3 and 4. Luongo seems to go as the team goes- when the going gets tough, he gets going, and the pattern repeated itself. What makes it more irritating is that Louie’s talent level is at the elite level, and he’ll frequently put on elite performances throughout the season. He just can’t seem to do it when the lights shine their brightest, which is whenever he faces adversity. In every playoff year, Luongo’s statistics have been markedly worse in each series he’s lost, being at least a goal above his average each time. Such play is unacceptable, and it makes you wonder if Louie can even continue being a Canuck with such regular choke jobs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The question becomes where Vancouver goes from here. Already this offseason there are question marks about where this team is headed, as the decision to resign Kevin Bieksa and say goodbye to Christian Erhoff seems based purely on the playoff run, and that’s a recipe for disaster. Sure, Bieksa is a “heart and soul” defenceman whose aggressiveness and energy is infectious, but Bieksa has had only two seasons north of 40 points whereas Erhoff has had three straight, including 50 this past season, not to mention the fact that Erhoff is typically one of the team’s better defenders. Offence and mobility from the point, one of the Canucks’ major weaknesses (one exploited by the Bruins in their victory), is now considerably weaker. Vancouver’s only hope is that Alexander Edler becomes that all-around defenceman he’s been primed to become, because otherwise that hole is going to sink the ship for another season. Then there’s the question about Luongo, whose meltdowns have been far too frequent to ignore- is this his final season in Vancouver? A sixth straight meltdown cannot be acceptable as patience is already wearing very thin in Canuck circles.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One thing is certain- after five seasons of being considered contenders and coming up short, the Canucks don’t have any more room for error. Their core is nearing the end of their primes and while it may not be “one more season and that’s it”, that point is becoming dangerously close, and they may only have this season to win the Cup, because, otherwise their pieces may run out of trade value if they do decide to clean house. Don’t get me wrong- this team should still be considered one of the favourites for the Cup in 2012, but seasons like last season don’t come around that often and Vancouver may have blown their best bid ever. If the team doesn’t break through in 2012 or even 2013, the questions of “what if” will get louder- and the pain that much worse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>STRANGE SPLASHES THIS FREE AGENCY PERIOD:</b> Tell me you saw this coming- the Philadelphia Flyers, one of the league’s elite teams, a team only a year removed from a Cup Final appearance, decides its only choice for improvement is to trade its two top players- Mike Richards and Jeff Carter- and acquire only prospects in return.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then you have the Buffalo Sabres, long one of the league’s least aggressive franchises, spend huge bucks in bringing in Christian Erhoff and Ville Leino to add some punch to a lacklustre offence. It’s the first time since “The Lockout” that Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier actually made significant free agent signings, suggesting that Buffalo and new owner Terry Pegula are ready to make noise in the hockey world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, there’s the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are still trying to figure out the formula to get them out of the team’s longest ever playoff drought, yet refusing to explore every option. GM Brian Burke wasted no time making a splash, signing Tim “Wrap Me In Bubble Wrap” Connolly and trading for John-Michael Liles, Matthew Lombardi and Cody Franson. However, there were also reports that Burke was in the running for the prize of the free agency period, Brad Richards, but didn’t land him because Burke didn’t want to give him a front-loaded contract, rightly suggesting they circumvent the salary cap. Despite his principle, <i>Toronto Star</i> columnist Damien Cox lambasted him, suggesting that Burke doesn’t want to follow his own team’s basic principle of doing whatever it took for them to win, since Burke isn’t doing that himself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What to make of these strange developments? Philadelphia sold its moves as a clearing salary cap space to make room for Ilya Bryzgalov, whom they acquired at the Entry Draft for a song. Yes, the Flyers likely did need to trade one of Richards or Carter to make it work, and yes both players were MIA in the team’s lacklustre playoff run, but there was no need to trade for Bryzgalov- despite what many suggest, the team’s goaltending struggles were due to head coach Peter Laviolette not having any faith in Sergei Bobrovsky (pulled after just one horrible start against in the first round against Buffalo) and not because the team really didn’t have any goaltending to rely on. Bobrovsky, who shined as a rookie, should have had another season to work out his kinks. Furthermore, although the Flyers likely needed a shakeup after its disappointing run, trading both Carter and Richards still makes no sense, as much of the team’s primary offence is gone without much in the form of replacements. Simply put, the moves reek of a team that panicked, because moving your top two players is a move a rebuilding team does, not one that’s still a contender like Philadelphia is.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then you move to Buffalo, whose moves suggest that they want to be a contender but it’s proof the team still has a lot of learning to do. Yes, Erhoff has been a steady beacon for the Canucks posting three straight 40-plus point seasons (including 50 last year), and, yes the cap hit is good, the term is horrible- the Sabres are giving ten years to a player who is already 28, someone whom they can’t expect to maintain his production for <i>that</i> long (this ain’t Nicklas Lidstrom we’re talking about). Leino, meanwhile, may have scored the overtime winner for the Flyers in Game 6 to prevent Buffalo from defeating them in the playoffs and may have had a 19-goal season in 2010-11, but in his previous two seasons- <i>including</i> the playoffs- Leino could only notch 18 goals, all in 94 games. Is a six-year commitment at $4.5 million per season all that justifiable in this case? He hasn’t proven himself as a consistent scorer, so this deal has the potential to blow up in Buffalo’s face. Yes, you like the moxie that Pegula is showing, but the jury’s still out on whether or not he knows how to spend his money wisely- just because Buffalo has the money doesn’t mean it has to be spent <i>now</i>, it could have waited until a piece Buffalo actually needed became available. The Sabres did need some depth on both sides of the blueline, but Leino and Erhoff represent some significant risks, and if they don’t work out, Pegula could hamper his ability to improve the team in later seasons- not the way he’ll want to be remembered.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, there’s Toronto. This is a make or break season for the Maple Leafs, since, if you compare the Leafs to Burke’s tenure in Vancouver, need to make the playoffs in 2012. Burke’s Canucks needed four seasons to get back into the playoffs with the third season being the Canucks just barely missing. The Leafs followed that course, but it was because they found a surprise starter in James Reimer, and you have to wonder if he can maintain that pace over a whole season. Connolly, one of the league’s better playmakers when he actually does play, could be the first-line centre Phil Kessel needs to really be effective, but there’s a reason the Sabres let Connolly go and that was because the team didn’t think he had the heart to compete- just the kind of player the testosterone-laden, belligerent and truculent Maple Leafs really want. Lombardi, for his part, has been one of the league’s fastest players and oozed potential right from when he stepped into the league in 2003, but he’s never banked on it, scoring 20 goals just once (in 2006-07) and hitting the 50-point plateau just once (in 2009-10). He also played just two games last season for the Nashville Predators, so his health is now a major concern. This means that the Leafs’ hopes for offensive depth may just blow up in their face. The two defensive acquisitions- Liles and Franson- were solid pickups and should help Toronto, though their effectiveness could be moot if the forwards don’t convert the chances the defence will give them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lastly, is Cox’s criticism on the mark? In this case, it just might be- Richards is a make-or-break kind of player, the kind of superstar that can turn a team around in an instant. Furthermore, Richards is a coach’s dream, doing all the “hard work” that so few players are willing to perform, making a player like him, with all his skills, that much more valuable. The fact that Burke didn’t want to pull all the stops- including going against his own principle- to land him speaks volumes about his own effort level. When a Leaf gets lambasted for his own efforts this season, he can simply point to his own boss and say “hey, if he’s not willing to give 100%, why should I?” Just like his colleague Pegula, Burke is taking a major risk, only this time if his risk doesn’t pan out he just might be out of a job, something Pegula won’t have to worry about. Oh, if only Burke could be an owner.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All this points to what should be a season with a lot to watch out for- and that’s just on the ice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>THE THRASHERS FLY OFF TO WINNIPEG:</b> It only took them 15 years and a lot of foot dragging, but the franchise relocation that never should have happened in the first place has finally been corrected: the Winnipeg Jets are flying back home.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Would have been funnier if the Phoenix Coyotes came back, but Winnipeg and Manitoba won’t care- they have their team back, after way too long.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It does come with a lot of caveats, however.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The team that is flying north are the old Atlanta Thrashers, marking the second time a team has failed in Dixieland’s largest city. The first time around was in 1980, when the Flames took off from Atlanta and moved to Calgary after dwindling attendance doomed the franchise. The same story applies to the Thrashers, who were a difficult sell for much of their tenure in Atlanta, but it comes with a slight twist.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The main difference between the Thrashers and the Flames is that the Thrashers never had any sustained success, whereas the Flames posted winning records in four of their final five seasons (including a 90-point effort in 1978-79 at a time when points were much harder to come by). They never did win a playoff series, winning just two playoff games in separate years, but the move was justifiable since the team’s success wasn’t being reflected at the gate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Thrashers, on the other hand, were a losing outfit for most of their entire 10 season run in the NHL, drawing comparisons to the Vancouver Grizzlies (now in Memphis) of the National Basketball Association, who were also a losing outfit for their entire run. Just like the Grizzlies, the Thrashers never got their fair shake in the NHL, because no one could see if Atlantans were staying away because of a lack of on-ice success since there was no on-ice success.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Furthermore, the sports landscape has changed considerably since the 1970s. With the advent of cable and satellite TV, not to mention the Internet, sports is more accessible now than it was when the Flames were in Atlanta, where sports were essentially only available on radio broadcasts and were hard to find on television. This means that in the Flames’ time, the only sports fans were the ones who were really dedicated to it, as opposed to now where casual fans seem to outnumber the dedicated ones because of this accessibility. A team- especially a winning team- is easier to sell since more people are going to be aware of it, meaning a winning Thrashers team could have actually had a chance of success.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other caveat is the market itself- Atlanta was the ninth largest market in the NHL, which is a significant loss to the NHL’s market reach. Yes, the Atlanta market itself failed, but the failure of teams in the South has more to do with market saturation than actual apathy for hockey in the South. The reason for this is simple- all you have to do is watch how teams like the Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers all seem to oscillate between periods of success and periods of apathy, with those periods of success coming when the teams are successful. There just aren’t enough fans to sustain the teams during the lean years (like there are in Canada or the more established hockey markets in the U.S. like Boston or San Jose). It would have made more sense to move a team like Nashville or Carolina (which are considerably smaller markets) than it would have been to move the Thrashers, since Atlanta (by far the largest of those three cities) could have easily served both markets. The failure of the Thrashers is as much a failure of the team in the market as much as it is the failure of the NHL’s overanxious desire to put teams in the South, plopping too many teams too quickly. A more cautious approach might have spared the Thrashers this fate, since it may allow them to “expand their reach” to gain the fans they needed instead of bumping into another market like they did in the past.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The good part is that a relocation that never should have happened has been corrected. I’m not sure if the right city was selected to part from, but only time will tell.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>ADDENDUM: </b>We must end with a sombre note, as this summer marked the passing of Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien, both way too soon.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Boogaard, known as one of the league’s toughest enforcers during his time with the Minnesota Wild, passed away in May in what was ruled to be an accidental death, though there are suspicions. An autopsy revealed he ingested a lethal dose of alcohol and oxycodone, with Minneapolis Police suggesting that his brother, Aaron, provided him the oxycodone illegally. No foul play is suspected, though who knows what demons lurked in the situation- Aaron did provide Derek with the drugs only a day after Derek left drug rehabilitation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rypien, meanwhile, was found dead mysteriously in his home in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta (just west of Lethbridge). Police ruled it a suicide, but have released very little other details. Friends, including teammate Jason Jaffray, were stunned at the news, because although Rypien had been battling depression for quite some time, there were hints that he was overcoming it. Still, there were a lot of demons lurking below the surface there as well, since Jaffray noted that although Rypien was getting help, he hardly ever opened up about his struggles, so there’s still the chance a trouble popped up that no one saw coming.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The deaths serve as a reminder that hockey players go through struggles just like we do. We like to have this image of our favourite players as impervious to pains and other stresses because of our own need to project our ideal likeness upon our role models; and indeed, seeing the lives many NHLers lead- with great cars and homes and usually appearing jovial on the camera- make it appear like their lives are paradise. Events like the passing of Rypien and Derek Boogaard serve as a reminder of reality; that, despite the appearance of a paradise life, they are still humans, and all humans have struggles. Unfortunately, and sadly, not all of us can overcome those struggles.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rest In Peace Rick Rypien and Derek Boogaard. You both will be missed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-73860365199032572992011-06-15T03:00:00.000-07:002011-06-15T03:02:23.524-07:00Game 7: A referendum on Luongo<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> 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Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Four minutes and 14 seconds. That’s all it took for the Stanley Cup dream to evaporate for the Vancouver Canucks, at least for a fortnight. Right in the middle of it was Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, who allowed three goals on eight shots in just eight minutes of work, his Veznia form nowhere to be found on what was supposed to be Vancouver’s poster night. It continued an alarming trend of poor performances at TD Garden, where Luongo now has allowed 15 goals on 66 shots for an abysmal save percentage of 0.772 and a Goals Against Average of 8.05.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">What makes the meltdown in Boston on Monday more troubling was that it came after a shutout in Game 5, which should have been a sign he was going back into form. Yes, Games 3 and 4 were horrible, but you could see it as an aberration, because even the best goaltenders have their moments. However, you expected him to rebound and regain his form, where, at worst, he could have lost Game 6 but kept the Canucks in the game. His meltdown suggests that at the most important position, Vancouver simply cannot have confidence.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This is why he has to win Game 7 or else he’ll have played his last game as a Canuck.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Yes, I said it- if Luongo loses, there’s no justification for keeping him in Vancouver. There’s no middle ground here- no “he stopped 70 of 71 shots in a heartbreaking quadruple overtime loss.” No, a loss is a loss- he has to win, or else he’s out.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The reasoning is very simple- when the Canucks need him most, Luongo has choked. Badly. Not just in this playoff- in each of his previous four seasons with the Canucks, when Luongo needs to be at his best, he has been at his worst, and a fifth straight season of misery would be proof enough that he just can’t be the goaltender Vancouver can rely on for postseason success.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Luongo’s problems began in 2007, when the Canucks drew the eventual Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks. While his play wasn’t as bad as it would be in later years, Luongo still found a way to struggle against Anaheim, posting considerably lower save percentages and GAA at home against the Ducks (.889, 2.99 GAA) than on the road (.947, 1.93). Not surprisingly Vancouver lost both games at home against the Ducks, including Game 4 where the Canucks blew a 2-0 lead in the game en route to a loss in overtime, putting Vancouver in a 1-3 hole that they couldn’t recover from. A year later, Luongo would win just once in his final eight starts to send Vancouver spiraling out of the playoffs altogether.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The problems picked up steam once Vancouver got matched up with its nemesis, the Chicago Blackhawks, in 2009 and 2010. The story is oft-repeated: after successful first round series, Luongo followed it up with a dramatically lower level of play against Chicago. In 2009, Luongo’s GAA was almost two and a half goals higher (3.51 vs. 1.15) against Chicago than it was against his first round opponent, the St. Louis Blues; with that series highlighted by the Game 6 collapse where Luongo failed to maintain two late Canucks leads in allowing seven goals on 28 shots (0.750 save percentage) throughout the game. In 2010, the Blackhawks just shelled Luongo all series long, especially at home where Luongo couldn’t buy a win or a save, where he posted a .845 save percentage and a 5.38 GAA in all three Vancouver losses.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Now, the Canucks have this, where it’s Boston’s turn to bombard Luongo. It’s getting to be a familiar sense of “déjà-vu” all over again for Vancouver, and this time it’s just one heartache too many. No team can expect to win when their goaltender provides numbers like that, so Luongo shouldn’t get a free pass from the Canucks- especially when his poor performances have come so consistently.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Yes, you could say that this season is different because Luongo has at least led the Canucks to the Cup Final, two rounds better than he’d done previously. Normally, I’d be inclined to agree, but this time I can’t. This isn’t a Vancouver team that’s “in the pack” that Luongo navigated through the woods to this point, this is a Vancouver team that overwhelmingly won the President’s Trophy and looked like world beaters throughout the season. If Vancouver loses Game 7, it wouldn’t be a series that the Canucks “could have won but didn’t”- this was a series they were “supposed to win”, the kind of win where you don’t question “if” it’ll come, just “when”. Just for Luongo to lose under those circumstances would be inexcusable, let alone have the worst games of your career.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Besides, how many more times does Luongo have to play poorly in the clutch before people start realizing he’s the problem?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">All of this will be moot if Luongo leads the Canucks to Stanley Cup glory on Wednesday night. Then, we can assume that he really has chased the demons and become the big-money goaltender he’s been positioned to be. If he loses, it’ll be another choke in a long list of chokes, the pervasiveness of which being a clear indicator that he isn’t the playoff-level goaltender the Canucks truly need. If the pressure of Game 7 wasn’t bad enough for Luongo, he’ll have to contend with knowing his future hangs in the balance with this game.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">It’s said that you make a name for yourself most in the playoffs. Now it’s time for Roberto Luongo to make it count.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">-DG</span></p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-55516248228711893642011-05-31T01:39:00.000-07:002011-05-31T01:41:04.987-07:00Into The Crystal Ball- 2011 Stanley Cup Final Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>(W1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (E3) Boston Bruins</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">How They Got Here</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Vancouver</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Western Conference Quarterfinals: Defeated Chicago 4-3</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Western Conference Semi-finals: Defeated Nashville 4-2</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Western Conference Finals: Defeated San Jose 4-1</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b style=""> </b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Boston</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Defeated Montreal 4-3</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Eastern Conference Semi-finals: Defeated Philadelphia 4-0</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;">Eastern Conference Finals: Defeated Tampa Bay 4-3</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">THE SKINNY</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There shouldn’t be any surprise about the Finalists this time around- right from the start the season, both Boston and Vancouver were tabbed as Cup contenders, though as the season wore on Vancouver became the heavier favourites. Both teams entered the playoffs with lots of question marks, with the Bruins having to answer their epic collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 (becoming only the fourth team in major sports history to blow a 3-0 series lead) and the Canucks having to answer for years of playoff failures despite their contender status, mostly at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks. For both, the 2011 playoffs would be all about redemption.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It didn’t start out that way, though. The Bruins looked like they were headed for an early exit when they fell behind 2-0 to the Montreal Canadiens in Round One, while the Canucks looked like they could have been the fourth team to blow a 3-0 series lead when the Blackhawks suddenly became unbeatable and stormed back to force a Game 7 overtime. Fortunately for both teams they won Game 7 in overtime- Nathan Horton for Boston and Alexandre Burrows for Vancouver- but that didn’t make anything easier. Vancouver saw a gamer Nashville Predators team in Round Two than many might have given them credit for, while Boston saw the Tampa Bay Lightning run rings around them in Round Three before just squeaking out a Game 7 victory. To say that these playoffs have been “eventful” for both teams is an understatement- it’s more like they went through many years of playoff experiences in just two short months.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yet, here they are...and now it’s time to break down their matchup.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">THE BRUINS WIN...IF</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That power play ever gets going. The Bruins are sick of hearing about it, but there’s no way a team with an 8.2% power play clip can even dream of winning the Stanley Cup. To put it in perspective, the Bruins’ power play ranks third last- out of *all* the playoff teams. In fact, the only teams to rank below Boston- the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers- were bounced in Round One. Endemic in this problem is a lack of finishing, as the Bruins’ big bodies like Milan Lucic and Horton have shown they’re able to create space on the ice to move the puck but they just don’t seem to have the hands to bury the chances they’re getting. Boston also has a lot of problems moving the puck in the attacking zone, and that has a lot to do with the fact that Tomas Kaberle has been a colossal failure. If scorers like Lucic, Horton and David Krejci can get going- which they can- it’ll help the Bruins in the long run.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other way Boston can win this series is with size. Though Vancouver can bring it physically as well, none of the Canucks are a match for the Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara, the biggest player in the world. The Canucks also showed in Game 5 against San Jose that a physical attack can wear them down, and Boston would be capable of doing that for a whole series. Boston also needs to make sure its defensive approach is working at full capacity, as even though they showed against Tampa that they can score with high scoring teams, it’s just not suited to their roster, so they can’t be caught in an up and down affair.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">THE CANUCKS WIN...IF</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Their offence continues producing. It hasn’t always been consistent, but their big guns- Ryan Kesler, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Alexandre Burrows- are producing, getting plenty of support down the lineup in guys like Maxim Lapierre, Chris Higgins and Raffi Torres. Their power play is also clicking, thanks mainly due to the offence they receive from the point from players like Kevin Bieksa- who is making a case for big bucks as a free agent this offseason- Christian Erhoff and Sami Salo, with Dan Hamhuis doing a great job patrolling the defensive zone. This says nothing about the job Roberto Luongo has done in net, playing like a man on a mission in finally bringing his regular season play to the playoffs, and the job of Alain Vigneault as head coach, who has been able to get the Canucks to play whatever style is necessary- freewheeling, physical, defensive- and still win.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The only question that remains is Vancouver’s mental fortitude. They may be the most complete team in the playoffs, but they have yet to play a “series”. Yes, Chicago pushed them to seven and Nashville to six, but the Canucks had a 3-1 series lead in each series, with the only time they’ve ever been tied in a series being after Game 2 against Nashville and never trailing. While the Bruins aren’t on the same level as the San Jose Sharks or the Predators may be, they are capable of making this a series with the Canucks, and that’s the only test that’s really left for this team. It’s also been the test that’s been their downfall, since they’ve only won one series- the 2010 First Round series with the Los Angeles Kings- when they’ve been either behind in a series or tied 2-2 after four games. Every other time they’ve lost. So when the going gets tough, do these Canucks get going?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">WHO WILL WIN</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Vancouver Canucks, in a healthy six games. Yes, the Bruins aren’t quite the team that the Sharks or the Predators are, but they do have enough to make this a series with the Canucks. However, Boston’s lack of production on special teams as well as elite forwards (compared to Vancouver’s special teams prowess and their own batch of elite forwards) will be their downfall. Vancouver has already shown they can play the Boston game and do it well- no one has shown they can even keep up with the Vancouver game, because no one has the horses. Tim Thomas, Luongo’s equal in the Boston net, has the capability to steal a game or two for the Bruins, but it won’t be enough- Vancouver is just too deep and too well rounded for Boston to keep up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-59811725081412429022011-05-14T02:15:00.001-07:002011-05-14T02:15:46.968-07:00Into The Crystal Ball: 2011 Conference Final Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">After we had a first round with four Game 7’s and six Game 6’s, the second round seemed to want to go away in a hurry. Three teams opened up a 3-0 series lead, with the other series being 3-1 after four games. In the East, it went according to plan, with the Tampa Bay Lightning sweeping out the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins sweeping out the Philadelphia Flyers (gaining a measure of revenge for last year’s embarrassing collapse). They both did it with a combination of physicality and high scoring offences, as both teams took advantage of wonky goaltending on both sides.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The West went all fluey.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Vancouver Canucks, the only team that didn’t open a 3-0 series lead in the second round, saw a game Nashville Predators team stretch them to six games before bowing out. To be fair, the Predators played too hard to not deserve a sixth game, so while the Canucks can be chided for not closing out Nashville at home, few could argue that a Vancouver win in six games wasn’t a fair series result. The San Jose Sharks, though, took stretching to a whole new level.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Sharks opened a 3-0 series lead on the Detroit Red Wings, though every game was a one goal affair. Detroit gutted out a 4-3 win in Game 4 that extended the series, but, like last year, it was viewed as the last gasp of an already defeated team. Instead, the Wings came back from 3-1 down in Game 5 and 1-0 down in Game 6 to improbably force Game 7. Detroit nearly came back in that Game 7 as well, making a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 deficit late in the third, but this time the Sharks held on to win the series.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Their present? Those very Canucks, the President’s Trophy winning Canucks who were reborn against Nashville, with Ryan Kesler playing like a man possessed, scoring five times and 11 points in the six games. How much of that was because he was playing the Predators is an open question, but it is an indication the moribund Canucks offence is showing signs of life at just the right time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">With that said, it’s time to show how the Conference Final will play out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Eastern Conference Final</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">(3) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning. </b>If you ever wanted to have a good laugh, all you have to do is find a picture of Boston’s Zdeno Chara playing against Tampa’s Martin St. Louis. You literally see Chara, the league’s tallest player, towering over St. Louis, one of the league’s smallest players, so much so that St. Louis’ head barely reaches...you know what I mean. Now, you’ll get to see a whole series of this hilarity, since it’ll be the key matchup of the series. Both were the engines that drove their team’s success, St. Louis the offensive anchor that sank the Washington Capitals under a deluge of goals and Chara the defensive anchor that perpetually kept the normally prolific Philadelphia Flyers offence sputtering, and whichever one has the bigger impact will likely decide the series. Both teams match up well, with the Lightning offence a little bit deeper than Boston’s but with the Bruins’ defence a little deeper than Tampa’s, though both teams have shown they’re capable at the other end of the ice. It’s difficult to know if Boston’s suddenly prolific offence had more to do with the Flyer carousel in net than if the team actually has that depth, but at least they enter this series with some offensive confidence. Still, if anything will separate these teams, it’s Boston’s physicality and the fact that Tim Thomas is just that much better than Tampa’s Dwayne Roloson (though only slightly). The Lightning may have physically dominated the Capitals as part of their victory, but they’ve yet to play a team that has the skills and the size as the Bruins. Tampa will make this a series- perhaps even a close one- but they’re just not big enough to deal with the Big Bad Bruins. <b style="">Bruins 4, Lightning 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Western Conference Final</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">(1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (2) San Jose Sharks.</b> These two looked geared to play each other early in the second round- they just took their sweet time getting here. They took so long, it was longer than a New York City commute- especially the Sharks, who almost let the Detroit Red Wings come all the way back from 3-0 down in the series. To be fair, both of their opponents were strong enough that the series results were justified, but it does mean that neither team really enters this series on much of a roll. Still, if a team has an advantage there it’s the Canucks, since the Sharks have been streaky all season long whereas the Canucks were only really up and down against the Chicago Blackhawks. That’s not the only edge Vancouver has in this series- the Canucks have shown to be just as much a physical force as San Jose has been these playoffs, but Vancouver has more depth on offence (especially if the Sedin twins ever get on track) and on defence, plus they have the better goaltender in Roberto Luongo. Yes, San Jose’s Antti Niemi hasn’t lost a playoff series and got the better of Luongo last season, but that was a different Luongo then- he’s a lot more focused and confident this year now that he’s off to the third round for the first time in his career. The Canucks also look like they have a lot more purpose during these playoffs, unlike the Sharks whom you never seem to know what you’ll get. It is true that the Red Wings also came in with more purpose and San Jose beat them, but the Sharks were familiar with them whereas they’re not as familiar with the Canucks. This will likely be a good series, but the Canucks have far more going for them than the Sharks do. <b style="">Canucks 4, Sharks 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Stanley Cup Final</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">(W1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (E3) Boston Bruins.</b> This could be dubbed the “Air Miles” series, since a staggering 3,189 miles (5,102 kilometres) separates the two arenas where these two teams play (the third longest distance in the NHL). If that isn’t tiring enough for both teams it’s the fact they’ll beat each other up by the end of the series, since both teams are very physical. They’ll also have a hard time scoring, since Thomas and Luongo are two of the game’s best and their defences are also good. The Bruins do have an anchor in Chara whereas the Canucks don’t, but the Canucks have offensive players who can create chances on their own whereas the Bruins don’t. That will be the difference in this series- the Canucks can match up with the defence, the size and the goaltending with the Bruins, they just have more offence; and that will be enough to lead them to their first ever Stanley Cup. <b style="">Canucks 4, Bruins 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-85762977671772292682011-04-28T01:30:00.000-07:002011-04-28T01:31:13.308-07:00Into The Crystal Ball: 2011 Conference Semifinal Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> 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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]-->What a first round. There were four Game 7’s, with two of them going to overtime. History was made when the Nashville Predators eliminated the Anaheim Ducks for their first playoff series victory, doing it in dramatic fashion when Shea Weber tied Game 5 with 37 seconds remaining. History was also made- or almost made depending on your view- when the Vancouver Canucks survived a spirited comeback by the Chicago Blackhawks (who become just the seventh team to force a Game 7 after trailing a series 3-0) when Alexandre Burrows buried the overtime winner in Game 7. Burrows’ winner meant the Canucks beat the Blackhawks for the first time in three tries in the last three years, exorcising a demon that has haunted Vancouver in the past few seasons. Only the Detroit Red Wings- who may have ended the Phoenix Coyotes’ run in Phoenix like they had ended the Winnipeg Jets’ run in Winnipeg 15 years ago- and the Washington Capitals had easy victories in their series, as the San Jose Sharks got pushed by the massive underdog Los Angeles Kings to six games. The Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins also survived upset scares in beating the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens (respectively) in seven games. Finally, the Pittsburgh Penguins showed how much they missed Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin when they couldn’t finish the deal against the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose depth on offence proved to be the difference. <p class="MsoNormal">How will the second round play out? Here’s your answer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Eastern Conference</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Conference Semi-finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Washington Capitals vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning.</b> The Capitals enter the second round after finishing a series in fewer than seven for the first time since 1999 and the Lightning enter the second round for the first time since their Cup run in 2004. The teams must like their chances against each other, as the Lightning can feel confident knowing they defeated a defensive team whereas the Capitals must feel that with their offensive guns they could put pressure on a Lightning defence that a depleted Penguins team could not. Both teams also come in with questions, as Tampa’s Steven Stamkos has yet to really get on track (his only two goals of the playoffs came in Game 5, continuing his long slump) and, although Michal Neuvirth and the Caps played great defence against the Rangers, it was still against the Rangers, a team not known for their offence; and the last time Washington played great defence against the Rangers in the playoffs they were promptly blitzed in the next round. Still, there’s little reason to believe it’ll happen this time around- the Capitals proved all season that they are better defensively, and against a Lightning team with question marks on the blueline (beating an offensively challenged Penguins team doesn’t count), Washington is better positioned to win this time around. It’ll be very offensive, with Martin St. Louis and Alexander Ovechkin trading goals, and the Lightning can make a series of it with wily veteran Dwayne Roloson in net, but ultimately Washington’s superior defensive play will win this series. <b style="">Capitals 4, Lightning 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(2)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Philadelphia Flyers vs. (3) Boston Bruins. </b>Flyers-Bruins, Round Two, for the second straight year. No introduction is needed, really because everyone knows the Bruins became the third team in NHL history last year to blow a 3-0 series lead. It shouldn’t happen this time around, though this should still be a very long series, as by the time it’s over this series will be described as “the real Conference Final”. Both teams enter this series with serious questions- the Bruins only advanced because Tim Thomas took them there as their power play didn’t score once and their offence is non-existent, whereas the Flyers needed their backs against the wall to beat a Sabres team they should have beaten easier than they did, with questions (again) concerning their goaltending. Having said that, the two teams do match up very well- on paper, both teams have lots of offensive weapons (especially if Tomas Kaberle wakes up and leads the Boston power play, though the Flyers have a bit more depth), both teams can match each other physically and their bluelines are also sterling (though questions will be asked if Chris Pronger can be the Flyers’ anchor again). The Bruins should have the edge with Vezina nominee Thomas against the question mark in the Flyer goal, but as last season proved, even if the Bruins have the edge in net, the Flyers can still get it done. This series could go either way, but since I must pick, I am going to go with the Flyers, who have more speed than the Bruins do. Boston couldn’t handle Montreal’s speed, and the Flyers are just as fast and have a lot more skill than the Canadiens did, which should be enough to get the Flyers- barely- through. <b style="">Flyers 4, Bruins 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Conference Finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Washington Capitals vs. (2) Philadelphia Flyers.</b> It’d be no surprise if the Flyers secretly thought all year that this is the series they wanted to play in- after all, Washington did steal the No. 1 seed from them late in the season, a seed the Flyers held almost all year. It’ll be in this series where the Flyers prove that they really are the No. 1 seed, as Philadelphia’s offensive guns will really test Washington’s defence and this time the Capitals will face a defensive team that’s actually capable of playing defence. The Flyers’ questions in goal may mean this will become a series, but the most complete team in the East will emphatically prove it against a team that’s still building itself. <b style="">Flyers 4, Capitals 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Western Conference</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Conference Semi-finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Vancouver Canucks vs. (5) Nashville Predators.</b> That was close, wasn’t it British Columbia? Chicago, the arch-nemesis of the Canucks nearly beat them again in the most remarkable of fashions, and a 3-0 comeback would have likely been the most crushing defeat of not just the Blackhawks over the Canucks or even of the Canucks’ history but in NHL history in general. No wonder Vancouver celebrated like it won the Cup when it was all over. Their prize? The Nashville Predators, who actually made history in defeating the Anaheim Ducks, their first playoff series victory in franchise history and gave Vancouver fits during the regular season, being one of the few teams to actually beat the Canucks at home during the season. Usually, what happens during the season doesn’t indicate playoff success (see the Canadiens’ 4-2 record against the Bruins), but in this case, it can be a predictor of the playoffs. The Predators gave the Canucks fits because they’re fast, and Vancouver has shown that they can’t handle speed- Chicago gave them fits three years in a row because of their speed, the only reason why the Blackhawks couldn’t pull through this time is because of their lack of depth. Nashville, however- and this might come as a surprise- can actually match the Canucks on the depth chart. They may not have the top end talent, but their offensive attack is deeper. Against Anaheim, 18 of the 19 Predator skaters found their way on the scoresheet, with 12 of them actually scoring a goal (Mike Fisher being the most productive with three goals and three assists for six points). Vancouver, meanwhile, only had 12 players on the scoresheet and just nine with goals (Daniel Sedin was a one-man wrecking crew with five goals and seven points), and the Canucks played one more game than the Predators. You also have to ask questions about the goaltending in Vancouver- though Roberto Luongo stood on his head in Game 7, his play late in the Chicago series was so questionable that Cory Schneider got a surprise start in Game 6. Pekka Rinne, meanwhile, may not have been lights out for Nashville against Anaheim but he was solid throughout the series. Finally, the lack of an elite puck moving defenceman- the kind that can get the offence started quickly- is missing in Vancouver, whereas the Predators have Ryan Suter. It’s that combination of speed, depth and goaltending that will allow the Predators to shock the Canucks, though it’ll be a tough series. Once it’s all done, Nashville will shock the hockey world- and remind the Canucks of the piece they’re truly missing. <b style="">Predators 4, Canucks 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(2)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">San Jose Sharks vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings.</b> Everyone remember the Wings? I know it’s hard, ‘cause they haven’t played in so long but they did happen to sweep the Phoenix Coyotes earlier in the playoffs. Shocking...I know (and that’s sarcasm by the way). The Sharks are in our memory banks a little clearer because the Los Angeles Kings- yes, those same Kings with the hapless offence without Anze Kopitar- took them to six games; and probably should have taken them to seven if they didn’t blow that 4-0 lead in Game 3 (or managed to win a home playoff game at all). San Jose, thus, may have won the series, but they enter the next round with the same question marks about their mental toughness- their play against Los Angeles was very inconsistent, with a full 60 minute effort non-existent during the series; not to mention the fact Antti Niemi, the Sharks’ goaltender, can’t seem to be good from game to game. Meanwhile, the Red Wings enter the second round looking like the Red Wings of old- playing hockey any way you like it and like a well-oiled machine, with the kind of swagger you’d expect from Detroit. All this without Henrik Zetterberg. Yes, these two teams played last year with virtually the same lineups and San Jose clobbered them- but this is a different year. Detroit’s got its swagger back and not only that they’re playing “prepared”, something they didn’t do last year. San Jose, meanwhile, looks tentative and unfocused and with Niemi allowing beach balls, I don’t think there’s any question who comes out on top in this series. <b style="">Red Wings 4, Sharks 1</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Conference Finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(3)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Nashville Predators.</b> Until last year, Nashville had only played two opponents in the playoffs- San Jose and Detroit. This will mark the first time since 2008 that they’ll have played one of those two in the playoffs, and this time it’ll be the Wings, Nashville’s perpetual tormentors. Is there any reason to believe that this series will end any differently than the ones that happened before it? Well, Nashville does have Pekka Rinne in net and not Dan Ellis, but that’s about it. However, this isn’t the same kind of Nashville team- yes, they’re still the same, speedy, “lunch pail” bunch the Red Wings handled in recent years but this time they’re a confident bunch, not the deer-in-the-headlights team that wilted as soon as the playoffs got tough. This time, Nashville believes they can defeat Detroit, and speed can give the Wings issues. Not only that, but this is a Predators team that can defend the best (if they can handle the Ducks’ and Canucks’ potent offence they can handle the Wings’) and they do have a much better goaltender in Rinne than Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, who has let in a few beach balls in this postseason. Therefore, it’ll be Nashville- but only a whisker. <b style="">Predators 4, Red Wings 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Stanley Cup Finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -18.45pt;"><b style="">(E2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W5) Nashville Predators.</b> The Flyers make their return to the Final a year after the disappointment of last year, whereas Nashville makes its debut. This time, though, Philly will enter the Final as the favourite, and there should be little reason to doubt that status. Yes, Nashville does have the better goaltender, but the Flyers have the speed to keep up with the Predators; and not only that, they’re physical enough to wear out the smaller Predators. This isn’t to say that Nashville will roll over- the team from the Music City will make a series of it, like they always do, because they work too hard not to make it happen- but against a Flyer team that has suddenly rediscovered its talent and its focus, it just can’t keep up. <b style="">Flyers 4, Predators 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-43714715103414835102011-04-11T03:31:00.001-07:002011-04-11T03:32:45.626-07:00Into The Crystal Ball- 2011 Playoff Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> 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</w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]-->It must be that time of year- the snow is melting, the Sun stays up a little bit longer and the Florida Panthers have no more games left to play. It must be playoff season. <p class="MsoNormal">While this season may not be remembered as a classic, it has been more memorable than seasons that came before it. Only two Canadian teams made the playoffs, the lowest number since 1977-78, though the Vancouver Canucks became the first Canadian victor of the President’s Trophy since the Ottawa Senators did it in 2003. Headshots became a hotter topic than it did in the year before, with stars like Brad Richards, Sidney Crosby and Max Pacioretty felled for long periods by hits to their heads. The Western Conference playoff race was tight all season long, with most of the teams in the chase until the final week of the season and the Chicago Blackhawks- last season’s Cup champion- needing 97 points (the highest total in league history for the “final” playoff team in any conference) to qualify for the postseason. Not to be outdone were the Senators, who missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons after 12 straight postseason years and the Phoenix Coyotes, whose off-ice drama once again unfortunately overshadowed a great product on the ice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">With all that said, it’s time to unveil the Crystal Ball and reveal who will be your 2011 Stanley Cup champion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Eastern Conference</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Conference Quarterfinals</b></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Washington Capitals vs. 8. New York Rangers.</b> A rematch of the 2009 first round where the Rangers blew a 3-1 series lead, though this will be a different series. Much of that is because of Washington, as the Capitals no longer play an up-tempo offensive game, playing instead a defensive game in order to minimize their issues in net, which are still very much in play this season. The Rangers are still very much the same, being an aimless team without any assets except Henrik Lundqvist in net, as Marian Gaborik disappointed with just 48 points and 22 goals in 65 games this season and have lost significant offensive punch with Ryan Callahan out with a broken leg. Now, on paper this does suggest an easy Washington victory- New York just doesn’t have the weapons to truly exploit the Caps’ deficiencies in net- but if the Rangers could take a 3-1 series lead against Washington with much the same team as this season, they can do it again. Furthermore, this may be a different Capitals team but it’s not a better one- the issues still exist in net (Brayden Holtby still being very green) and although they play better defensively, this still isn’t anything more than an average defensive team at best (their success comes because they’re better as a team unit than possessing superior defensive capabilities). Lastly, the Rangers were the fifth best defensive team in the NHL this season, allowing one more goal than the Capitals did, which spells problems for a suddenly goal-starved Washington team (eleventh least amount of goals scored this season). This will again go seven games, but with New York’s clear advantage in net and comparable defensive skills, the Rangers will be the winners. <b style="">Rangers 4, Capitals 3.</b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Philadelphia Flyers vs. 7. Buffalo Sabres.</b> If the Vancouver Canucks are scared of the Chicago Blackhawks, imagine what the Philadelphia Flyers are feeling. This may be the first time since 2006 that Buffalo and Philadelphia have met in the playoffs but the last two times the Sabres dominated the Flyers in the playoffs, winning in six games in 2001 and 2006, with each sixth game being punctuated by Buffalo blowouts. Suffice to say this won’t be the same kind of series. Although the Flyers’ defence has issues with its speed- Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen and Sean O’Donnell are getting up there in age and only Matt Carle and Andrej Meszaros have any kind of wheels on the blueline- the Sabres aren’t the team to exploit those issues. The Sabres do have the speed to give Philadelphia problems but outside of Thomas Vanek, there’s no finisher, and Buffalo had tons of problems with the physical Boston Bruins last year and the Flyers pose the same kind of problem- with more skill. Goaltender Ryan Miller- if he is fully recovered from the injury he suffered late in the season- could steal this series for the Sabres, but he’ll have to have the series of his life to do it, so don’t bet on it. Philly will have a fight, but they’ll be off to the second round. <b style="">Flyers 4, Sabres 2</b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Boston Bruins vs. 6. Montreal Canadiens.</b> The series every hockey fan wanted- and the series the NHL dreaded. This has been a season series punctuated by nastiness on both sides, from the Pacioretty hit by Zdeno Chara to the 8-6 slugfest in February to the line brawl that occurred after Pacioretty scored an overtime winner in January. However, this likely won’t be a very long series. Although the Canadiens won the season series, the Bruins’ two victories- the 7-0 shellacking late in March and the 8-6 win- showed just what Boston can do at full strength. Not only do the Bruins have the size advantage with players like Patrice Bergeron, Nathan Horton and Chara, they can now compliment it with skill from players like newcomer Tomas Kaberle and rookie Brad Marchand; and that combination ran all over the Habs in those two games. Yes, Carey Price finally proved he could be the next Patrick Roy, but he’ll need the series of his life if Montreal is to win, and he’ll have to outduel Boston’s Tim Thomas- who had a Vezina-type year- to do it. Furthermore, this is suddenly a Canadiens team that just can’t score anymore, with its primary scorers- Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Tomas Plekanec and Scott Gomez- all having significant slumps this season. This won’t be a sweep but it won’t be long either. <b style="">Bruins 4, Canadiens 1.</b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5. Tampa Bay Lightning.</b> If this were any other year, I’d start by talking about how Crosby and Evgeni Malkin line up against the Tampa Bay trio of Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. However, this isn’t any other year. Crosby and Malkin are both out, meaning this is a Penguin unit anchored by Marc-Andre Fleury in net and little else, making it an astonishment that this team even made the playoffs, let alone contended for the division title. The Lightning, for their part, slumped horribly in the last two months of the season after being comfortably in the Southeast Division lead, and they don’t have an injury to blame for that one. Still, if there was a matchup that could bump them from their slump and show the hockey world what they could truly achieve, it’s this one- without Crosby or Malkin, the Penguins will have no offence, and the high flying Lightning who have tons of speed and Ryan Malone’s net presence (whom the Penguins have missed since he left in 2008) will give Pittsburgh fits, much like the Canadiens did last season (only that Montreal has less skill than the Lightning do). Furthermore, Dwayne Roloson- who knows all about championship level goaltending when he did it for the Edmonton Oilers in 2006- will be equal to the task against Fleury. If Crosby can come back before the series is finished (highly unlikely) the Penguins may have a shot, but otherwise this is Tampa’s series to lose. <b style="">Lightning 4, Penguins 1.</b></li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Conference Semi-finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -17.6pt;"><b style="">2.<span style=""> </span>Philadelphia Flyers vs. 8. New York Rangers.</b> If this was 2008, we’d talk about how Lundqvist could steal this series for the Rangers because whomever the Flyers have in net just won’t compare. That won’t work this season with Sergei “Bob” Bobrovsky in net, who gave the Flyers the kind of solid starting goaltending it has lacked since Ron Hextall manned the pipes; and, just like the Sabres before them, the Rangers may have the speed to give Philadelphia’s slow blueline fits but without the skill to make any kind of difference, and the two-way presence of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter- two of the league’s best- means that New York won’t have the defensive breakdowns Washington will give them. This won’t be a long series. <b style="">Flyers 4, Rangers 1.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -17.6pt;"><b style="">3.<span style=""> </span>Boston Bruins vs. 5. Tampa Bay Lightning.</b> The Lightning will be buoyed by their high profile victory over the Penguins, but they’ll be brought down to earth by the Big Bad Bruins. Although Tampa wins the speed and skill battle, the Bruins have the size advantage and enough skill to mean that the Lightning won’t win it by a large enough margin to make a difference. Furthermore, Thomas is going to win the goaltending battle with Roloson, although Roloson’s playoff experience will make it closer than one might think. Still, this will be a long series, as both teams will give each other fits with their skillsets, but Boston, with its size and skill combination, will wear out the Lightning and move on to their first conference final since 1990.<b style=""> Bruins 4, Lightning 3.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Conference Finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -17.6pt;"><b style="">2.<span style=""> </span>Philadelphia Flyers vs. 3. Boston Bruins.</b> The Bruins and Flyers meet again a year after the NHL’s greatest series in decades. No doubt the Bruins will have a renewed sense of purpose, because the Bruins won’t want to blow a 3-0 series led two years in a row. Fortunately for them, there won’t be a 3-0 series lead to blow, though this will go seven games. It will also again be a slugfest, with each team’s physicality and size giving this series that extra degree of nastiness, only this time there’s enough skill on both sides to produce some exciting hockey. The difference in this series is that Boston has just a bit more speed and offensive acumen on defence in the presence of Tomas Kaberle and the better goaltender in Thomas, because in crunch situations- such as overtime in the seventh game- having that extra save and a defenceman that can create a breakaway (stuff Boston didn’t get last year) on their own gives a team a small enough edge to get over the hump. <b style="">Bruins 4, Flyers 3.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Western Conference</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Conference Quarterfinals</b></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Vancouver Canucks vs. 8. Chicago Blackhawks.</b> Ahhh! No! Not the Blackhawks! Anyone but the Blackhawks! Yes Canuck fans, it’s Chicago all over again, the same team that defeated Vancouver two straight seasons in playoff series that were essentially six game sweeps. Is there any reason to think that this series will be any different? Well, Chicago doesn’t have many of the same tormentors that they called upon in 2009 and 2010, like Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg and Antti Niemi, depth that will be missed this time around, plus the Canucks are a much better unit all around this season, having scored the most goals this season and allowed the least amount of goals this season, all due to a stronger two way team game from players like Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler and goaltender Roberto Luongo, who had a quietly dominating season in 2010-11. Still, this is a Blackhawks team that still has the explosive Patrick Kane and one of the league’s best two-way players in Jonathan Toews, key figures in the Canuck defeats of years past. If that’s not enough to convince the lay person for a Chicago upset, all one needs to do is bring up the November 20<sup>th</sup> game where Vancouver was blasted 7-1 by Chicago, the game the Canucks said turned their year around. That game showed that this was still a Canuck team that had a lot of work to do, as their blueline didn’t have the pace to handle teams with speed, even though they’re more responsible with Dan Hamhuis patrolling the blueline; and they still don’t have that puck moving defenceman their offence sorely needs. Sorry B.C., but your tormentors will strike again. <b style="">Blackhawks 4, Canucks 2.</b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">San Jose Sharks vs. 7. Los Angeles Kings.</b> The Battle of California lives with the Sharks and the Kings facing off for the first time in their history, with the Kings representing the first test for a San Jose team that pledges it is better with Antti Niemi in net than Evgeni Nabokov. The jury is still out on that. Niemi did post Nabokov-like numbers with a 2.38 goals against average and .920 save percentage and the team has virtually the same makeup as in years past, but this was an incredibly streaky Sharks team this season, needing a late surge just to assure themselves of a playoff spot, let alone win a division. The Kings won’t be the team to test them though. Without Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles now lacks the focal point of its offence, and the slump of Drew Doughty this season means there are question marks on the blueline as well. Goaltender Jonathan Quick may be the equalizer having posted stellar numbers this season, but if last year’s poor playoff was any indication, he’ll need to prove he can step up his game in post-season play. The Sharks will be challenged, but they’ll win this round of the Battle of California. <b style="">Sharks 4, Kings 2.</b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Detroit Red Wings vs. Phoenix Coyotes.</b> I could just write “the Coyotes won’t win and the Red Wings will because they’re the Red Wings” and that’d be all I’d need to write- on paper, this is a cakewalk. However, games aren’t won on paper, and if the Coyotes showed the NHL anything last year, the Red Wings don’t always play to their capacity. Yes, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom are among the best at their positions but age is getting to them, and Jimmy Howard took a step backward in net after two promising seasons. Furthermore, the Coyotes, while lacking any kind of real elite scorers, have the kind of speed and work ethic that can drive the slow, plodding Wings nuts, a formula that almost worked last year and just could work this year. Let’s also not forget Ilya Bryzgalov could steal a series all on his own, and this year there’s a great chance he’ll rout the goaltending battle with Howard. This will still likely go seven, but the age questions mean that this will be the ‘Yotes’ year. <b style="">Coyotes 4, Red Wings 3.</b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Anaheim Ducks vs. 5. Nashville Predators.</b> Is there a playoff team more snakebit than the Predators? Every year, it seems, the Predators beat the odds and make the playoffs with a ragtag team that, on paper, looks like it doesn’t even belong in the AHL let alone the NHL...and then the playoffs start. What gives? This year looks to be no different. While the Ducks don’t quite get the press the Wings and the Canucks did this season, they’re built to be a contender, with the league’s only 50-goal scorer in Corey Perry, a reborn Teemu Selanne (31 goals, 80 points) and three others with at least 65 points (Ryan Getzlaf (76), Bobby Ryan (71) and Lubomir Vishnovsky (whose 68 points led all defencemen in scoring)). Jonas Hiller did have a bit of an off-year in net but he still was effective with a .924 save percentage. What’s better about this year’s version of the Ducks versus the 2007 version that won the Stanley Cup is that this is a younger, faster team that sacrifices no size, allowing them to play any way that is required and for years to come. So what chance does Nashville have? Well, there’s Pekka Rinne in net, who just may be one of the NHL’s best goaltenders, but that’s really it- this army of checkers won’t stand a chance against a team built for the playoffs. <b style="">Ducks 4, Predators 0.</b></li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Conference Semi-Finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -17.6pt;"><b style="">2.<span style=""> </span>San Jose Sharks vs. 8. Chicago Blackhawks.</b> Rematch No. 2 for the Blackhawks, who handled the Sharks so easily last year and will like their chances of doing the same this year. The only difference is that their goaltender last year, Antti Niemi, switched sides and will relish the thought of playing the team that spurned them, and there’s no Dustin Byfuglien or Andrew Ladd to cause havoc in the San Jose net. That lack of size will hurt the Blackhawks in this series, because Byfuglien and Ladd allowed them to match up with the Sharks’ size and now San Jose gains the size advantage. However, the speed advantage that the Blackhawks had with the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp (who should return for this series) will be present, and having run rings around the Canucks, they’ll do so again against a Sharks team that is even slower- though Niemi will keep it close. <b style="">Blackhawks 4, Sharks 3.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -17.6pt;"><b style="">4.<span style=""> </span>Anaheim Ducks vs. 6. Phoenix Coyotes.</b> The Coyotes will start this series with so much hope after winning their first playoff series since they were in Winnipeg and will like their chances against a skilled Ducks team, but the similarities with the Wings will end there. Anaheim isn’t old and has a lot to prove, namely that this group wants to show it is better than the 2007 team, which they are. With the energy and skill of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, as well as the veteran know-how of Teemu Selanne and Lubomir Vishnovsky’s vision on the backend, the Ducks will do what the Wings couldn’t- breeze through the Coyotes faster than a desert storm. Hopefully the golf courses will still be available in Arizona, since they didn’t expect the ‘Yotes’ run to be this long. <b style="">Ducks 4, Coyotes 0.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Conference Finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -17.6pt;"><b style="">4.<span style=""> </span>Anaheim Ducks vs. 8. Chicago Blackhawks.</b> The Ducks take on the Blackhawks being the first team since the Toronto Maple Leafs of 1999 to host every one of their playoff series without winning their division. This is also the latest a 4 vs. 8 has occurred in NHL history, and will have an air of surprise attached to it, as neither team would have been pegged to go this far when the playoffs began. It won’t play like that though, as both teams will put up a fight. The Blackhawks will likely take a shock 2-0 series lead because the Ducks will be sluggish after two straight quick series, but once they dig in they’ll be able to turn the series in their favour. Chicago will have the speed and skill to keep up with the Ducks’ scorers, but the Ducks have more size and just that much more depth to give them the edge in this series, advantages they wouldn’t have had if Chicago didn’t have to make salary cap dumps. It won’t be easy but eventually the better and deeper team will prevail. <b style="">Ducks 4, Blackhawks 2.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Stanley Cup Finals</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 35.45pt; text-indent: -17.6pt;"><b style="">E3.<span style=""> </span>Boston Bruins vs. W4 Anaheim Ducks.</b> This would have been funnier if the Bruins were playing the Mighty Ducks and not the Ducks (‘cause it’d be a riot for the “Big Bad Bruins” to play a Disney movie), but there’s nothing I can do. This will also be quite the series too, with the Ducks and Bruins both possessing a nice mix of skill and brawn, the Ducks having just a bit more skill and the Bruins having a bit more brawn. Boston will win the goaltending battle, though this will be counteracted by the Ducks’ depth on the blueline, with the Ducks possessing more mobility in the form of Lubomir Vishnovsky and rookie Cam Fowler than the Bruins do, who can really only call on Tomas Kaberle in that department. This could go either way, but this year, with the veteran presence of the Bruins and the Ducks still kind of “learning” their way with this young group, it’ll be the Bruins’ Cup. <b style="">Bruins 4, Ducks 3.</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-54705203808771640032011-03-13T23:29:00.000-07:002011-03-13T23:30:28.994-07:00The Pacioretty Hit: A deeper look<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]-->By now you’ve already seen the images. With 15 seconds to go in the Montreal Canadiens’ 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins, Max Pacioretty, one of the league’s most promising youngsters, lay motionless on the ice, dropped there after hitting his head against the partition that divides the benches. He wound up there after Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, beaten by the speedy Canadiens forward, nailed Pacioretty into the bench and rid him along the edge, where Pacioretty’s head would eventually strike the partition. <p class="MsoNormal">Since the game, the debate on the hit has raged on. One side of the debate, which the National Hockey League is on, saw the hit as a “hockey play” that had an unfortunate conclusion. The other side suggests that Chara knew what he was doing and guided Pacioretty’s head into the partition. Unfortunately, the raw video doesn’t make the distinction any easier, and the only one who could answer to the maliciousness of the hit is Chara himself, who hasn’t been all that forthcoming. Chara denied culpability, claiming he wasn’t trying to hurt Pacioretty and that Pacioretty “jumped”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On Tuesday, Pacioretty spoke up and fired back, asserting to TSN’s Bob McKenzie that Chara knew exactly what he was doing and should have received a suspension. From McKenzie:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“I am upset and disgusted that the league didn't think enough of (the hit) to suspend him. I'm not mad for myself, I'm mad because if other players see a hit like that and think it's okay, they won't be suspended, then other players will get hurt like I got hurt.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">...</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I heard (Chara) said he didn't mean to do it. I felt he did mean to do it. I would feel better if he said he made a mistake and that he was sorry for doing that, I could forgive that, but I guess he's talking about how I jumped up or something. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I believe he was trying to guide my head into the turnbuckle. We all know where the turnbuckle is. It wasn't a head shot like a lot of head shots we see but I do feel he targeted my head into the turnbuckle.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(source: TSN.ca)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s a pretty incendiary statement in of itself, and the fact that Pacioretty decided to word the statement with strong language speaks to the gravity of the hit. It’s rare that a player speaks that candidly about something that happened to them, suggesting that this very much *is* something more than “just another hockey hit”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">A deeper look</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As with any controversial subject, it’s imperative to examine it on a deeper level, without it one could be missing key insight that would allow them to understand the issue properly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“The hockey play argument”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This argument starts with the fact that the hit on Pacioretty isn’t all that uncommon in the NHL- Chara isn’t the first player to run an opponent into the bench and he won’t be the last- this time the circumstances were different because of poor luck and poor physics (Chara’s large frame versus Pacioretty’s small stature). The optics- in real time speed- suggest this was merely “a hockey play” that went horribly wrong, much like Torrey Mitchell’s ill-fated trip a few seasons ago that sent Kurtis Foster into the boards and shattered Foster’s leg.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next part deals with Chara’s character. Despite being the NHL’s tallest and heaviest player; as well as one of the league’s most physical players, this is the first time in Chara’s career that he has been involved in a high profile controversial hit. We all know about his clean disciplinary record, but it’s more astonishing that he’s been able to maintain a “clean” reputation. Certainly from a “character” standpoint, there’s no reason to suggest that Chara meant to be dirty on the play. Granted, it still doesn’t mean that Chara wasn’t malicious on the play- we all “behave differently” if certain situations arise- but the truth still remains that there hasn’t been a reason to call Chara “dirty” until now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thirdly is the fact that Chara was still punished on the play. This wasn’t a case where Chara went away from the incident without a penalty or with a piddly interference call- Chara was dinged with a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct (a misconduct that wasn’t rescinded, meaning Chara needs just two more for an automatic suspension). The league noted this in their decision not to add any supplemental discipline to the play. The NHL also set a precedent of sorts years prior when Alexander Ovechkin avoided a suspension when he drilled Daniel Briere from behind into the Buffalo Sabres’ bench door, though Briere avoided injury and Ovie did receive a fine.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lastly is the fact that with incidents like this, there is a tendency for overanalysis. Critical thinkers and teachers of logic are apt to discuss the natural human tendency to “see what it wants” and, if one looks at something long enough, they will find “what they’re looking for”. For example, many astronomers in the late 19<sup>th</sup> to early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries were convinced that Mars had canals, and many of the day’s brightest minds contorted the truth (and their vision) just to see them. It’s a phenomenon known as “confirmation bias”, and it’s well in play here.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Since the hit, there have been various different still images and replays of the video where the creator asserts is “irrefutable” evidence of Chara driving Pacioretty’s head into the stanchion. The most damning of them was a picture (you can see it on Yahoo! Sports) of Chara’s hand punching Pacioretty into the stanchion, ostensibly showing Chara’s “real” intent. However, one needs to remember that a still image is different than seeing the play in full, and in full time, it appears that Chara is simply using his forearm to drive Pacioretty into the bench and steady himself at the same time. It is a penalty still (elbowing) but certainly not irrefutable evidence that Chara deliberately directed Pacioretty’s head with his hand into the turnbuckle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“The dirty hit argument”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This one starts with the story that Pacioretty and Chara have a bit of a personal “rivalry”. Players with personal rivalries is nothing new for hockey or for even sports in general, though it does seem odd that the tiny Pacioretty put his sights on the monstrous Chara. Nevertheless, there is a case to suggest bad blood existed the between the two players well before Chara threw Pacioretty into the boards.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On January 8 in Montreal, Pacioretty used Chara as a screen to score the overtime winner. As Pacioretty skated to celebrate with his jubilant teammates, he lightly shoved Chara out of the way. Though it was obviously innocent, Chara took exception to the push and started a scrum with Pacioretty. The next game between Montreal and Boston was the 8-6 slugfest (in more ways than one) that became this season’s most talked about game. Whether or not the seeds of a Pacioretty-Chara rivalry came out as a result of the January 8 contest is an open question, but it was clear that game planted the seeds to what has become hockey’s nastiest rivalry this season.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Pacioretty certainly believed Chara knew what he was doing, although his memory of the play is fuzzy. Chara, for his part, claims he didn’t realize it was Pacioretty that he had hit on the play, but he was looking right at him in the lead up to the hit. Furthermore, considering that Pacioretty is far from a new player, having been in the league for three seasons and at least over a dozen games against Boston, Chara can’t claim he didn’t recognize Pacioretty. Even if we dismiss the possibility that Chara and Pacioretty didn’t have a deep-seated hatred for each other, the fact still remains the hit could very much be a “revenge” play for Pacioretty’s shove, since revenge is very much a part of hockey culture. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Other NHL players also dispute the idea that Chara didn’t know what he was doing. Vancouver Canuck Tanner Glass said “if you polled 700 NHL players, 680 of them would say they know where the turnbuckle is.” Buffalo Sabres defenceman Steve Montador, a former Bruin, concurred. Pacioretty’s teammate Canadiens forward Scott Gomez added that from “Day One you’re taught not to do that.” Finally, Rob Ray not only corroborated that Chara knew where the stanchion is, he also opined that Chara would deliberately drive Pacioretty into it, stating that other players would do the same thing. Now, I’ve seen many games at the Bell Centre and it’s the first time I’ve seen anyone get driven into the stanchion, but the testimony of the players casts doubt on the idea that Chara didn’t know what he was doing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Conclusions</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In simple terms, this is a hit that has been made to be greater than it should have been. Yes, Pacioretty was hurt so badly that he may never play hockey again, let alone have a normal life. However, it’s not a reason to call Chara a “monster” just for performing an act that occurs with some frequency- players get injured all the time, and while it’s important to know how to curb those injuries, let’s remember to keep this in perspective.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Technically, the league was right in its assessment. Chara didn’t hit Pacioretty from behind, it wasn’t a charge and it wasn’t the first time a player was ridden along the bench (or, as Don Cherry pointed out, ridden into a stanchion) and it won’t be the last. Still, it just may be time to make such a play illegal, given the play shed light on just how dangerous it could be.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m not suggesting that the NHL should make checking into the boards illegal or even checking a player into the bench- board play itself didn’t injure Pacioretty, that specific board play injured Pacioretty; and now it’s time for the rulebook to catch up. The benches have been a hazard on the ice for years and it’s surprising that we haven’t had a Pacioretty incident before.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All that’s needed now is a penalty against excessive play along the benches. There’s no reason for Chara to be allowed to drive Pacioretty’s body against the bench after the initial impact, so anything other than a “direct hit” should be penalized. Players could still be driven along the boards because they’re different- they’re tall enough to provide “support” to the player receiving the hit, whereas along the benches their bodies could be contorted in ways they shouldn’t be.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It should also be time to have a look at the stanchions themselves. It’s been pointed out that padding of the stanchions between the benches in Montreal are too thin, so that is one area to address. The other part deals with the design- why does the glass at the end of the bench have to extend all the way to the ice? There are no fans in between the benches, just a pointless broadcaster, and they already have a door at the end of the bench. Sure, there’d have to be glass at the end of the “second level” of the bench (where the coaches stand) to ensure no fans get to the bench and so the coaches are protected against “falls” but the players need no such protection, so there’s no reason to have the glass- and by extension, the stanchion- all the way to the ice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So in short, the Chara hit was both a dirty play and a clean play- legal by the letter of the law but dirty in that it showed just how dangerous that type of hit can be. It also showed that the discussion shouldn’t be about how hard the league should have come down on Chara but about the larger issue about the dangers of the play along the benches and why those stanchions are where they are. Solving those problems would go a longer way than any suspension to Chara would, because then those problems would still need addressing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Last but not least, let’s hope we see Pacioretty on the ice again. There may be differences in opinion about what should have been done about the hit, but if there is anything we can all agree on, it’s Pacioretty’s health.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Get well soon Max.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-54195124909976847772011-02-09T23:50:00.001-08:002011-02-18T00:26:39.439-08:00Smarch of the Penguins<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> 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{mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]-->Someone, somewhere in Western Pennsylvania is wishing it was 2009 all over again. Meanwhile, someone, somewhere in Eastern Pennsylvania is wearing a wide grin. <p class="MsoNormal">In early January, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ primary franchise centre, Sidney Crosby, went down with a concussion after receiving two hits in consecutive games from David Steckel and Victor Hedman, and despite some progress, there is no time table for Crosby’s return.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then, in early February, the Penguins’ other franchise centre, Evgeni Malkin, was ridden hard into the boards by Buffalo Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers, causing Malkin’s knees to twist into the boards. Today, it was confirmed that Malkin would be sidelined for the season, with both of his knee ligaments completely torn requiring surgery.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Suddenly, Pittsburgh’s entire offensive load- Malkin and Crosby have contributed, either by setting up or scoring themselves, almost 64% of Pittsburgh’s entire offensive load- is gone, offence that won’t be easy to replace. The Pens, with 71 points in 55 games, are almost assured to be in the playoffs but that’s small solace to Penguin fans who are afraid their team will be limp come playoff time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The question then becomes- what do the Penguins do now?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">What do the Penguins have?</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Even before Crosby and Malkin went down, the Penguins had significant problems with their depth. The team is built primarily as a strong forechecking team that gets most of its goals through hard work and braun and not skill, with lots of offence from the backend. It makes them one of the hardest teams to play against in the league but it does put a premium on Crosby and Malkin- their only “skill” players- to produce, meaning this team is prone to slumps.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The real strength of this team- as it always had been- is on the blueline, and this season is no exception, with five blueliners already contributing at least 10 points with Kris Letang leading the way with 41 points. They don’t have much in the goals department- after Letang and Alex Goligoski, the next highest is Paul Martin’s 3 goals- but it does give the Penguins a trading chip when looking for a forward, though nothing that would really blow a team away.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That leaves us with their prospects, and, as Hockey’s Future’s Ian Altenbaugh writes, “the Penguins are in a transition period with their prospects”. Looking closely, a lot of Pittsburgh’s prospects are “projects” who could hit their targets but in some cases won’t. The strategy makes sense in the long run because most of Pittsburgh’s core is already young- in addition to Crosby (23) and Malkin (24), there’s also Letang (23), Goligoski (24), forwards Jordan Staal (20) and Tyler Kennedy (24), defencemen Zbynek Michalek (28), Paul Martin (29) and Brooks Orpik (30) and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (26) who are all 30 or less and have plenty more in the tank to provide. However, in the short term, it leaves the Pens with little to work with in terms of upgrading their roster, meaning they may have to part with some of their few blue chip prospects (such as Eric Tangradi and Simon Despres) in order to fill the massive hole down the middle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Who is available?</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Malkin’s injury means that the Pens can acquire anyone they wish, since it frees up $8.7 million in cap space (Pittsburgh was previously right up against the cap). However, is there a player out there that the Pens can aquire that can step right in and fill the void?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The short answer is no. Considering Pittsburgh is likely going to want a rental (since Malkin will return next season), there’s very little in the pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) market that really jumps out at one as a true impact player. Up front, the best bets are Dallas Stars centre Brad Richards (who is a previous Conn Smythe winner), New Jersey Devils centre Jason Arnott (24 points in 54 games), Buffalo Sabres centre Tim Connolly (22/38), Florida Panthers left winger Cory Stillman (21/38), Ottawa Senators right winger Alexei Kovalev (23/44) and Nashville Predators right winger Steve Sullivan (20/36).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of that group, only Richards would be the type that could step in immediately and “replace” Malkin or Crosby, but the price for him would be steep and there’s no guarantee the playoff bound Stars would want to trade their best player at the deadline. Sullivan may or may not be shipped, considering the Predators are in a playoff position, though Nashville’s frugality may just mean Sullivan could be on the market anyway.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The most attractive option for the Penguins would be Connolly. He’s the best fit out of all the players available to make an immediate impact in Pittsburgh, since he’s one of the league’s best playmakers and will benefit from all the room the Penguins’ forecheck will create for him. He would also not have that high a trade value, as questions about his health and his heart (after his pitiful performance in the playoffs last season) mean teams will be leery about giving the Sabres full value. A mid-level prospect or two- which the Penguins could afford to give up- just may be all that’s needed to pry the creative Connolly away.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">What Should The Penguins do?</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The knee jerk reaction when Malkin went down was to go for a trade, but the Pens’ best bet may just be to stand pat. Yes, the picture looks bleak without their two star players, but as I pointed out before, much of the Penguins’ core is young, including the two most important pieces of Crosby and Malkin. This wouldn’t be the same thing as if the 2003 Colorado Avalanche lost both Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, because that team would have been in a “win now” mode whereas Pittsburgh can afford to wait.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Besides, this gives the rest of the Penguins’ roster a chance to prove that they are more than just “caddies” for the Pittsburgh Big Two; and it’s not like they can’t make a run. As Rob Rossi wrote in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, lesser rosters have made runs in the Stanley Cup playoffs, such as the Montreal Canadiens last year or the 2006 Edmonton Oilers. Rossi, however, assumes that Crosby will actually return this season, which is no guarantee.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, I will go one further than Rossi and boldly state that this Penguin team- without the Big Two- can make a Stanley Cup push. Fleury and the defence are playing their best hockey the Penguins have ever seen them play, plus head coach Dan Bylsma has a knack for bringing out the most with less- he did that in 2009 to great success. Furthermore, all that’s needed in the playoffs is superior chemistry, and the Penguins have shown they’re more than capable in that regard. Besides, without the Big Two the Penguins can play without expectations- if they win the Cup, it’ll be great but if they lose, it’s not like anyone thought they’d win it anyway; and if they don’t, at least they can know that next year they’ll have the roster back, in full strength, the way they had envisioned it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So cheer up Western Pennsylvania. Turn that frown upside down. Because the Pens are better than you think.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-90853260618560818272011-01-18T21:19:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:31:50.095-08:00DG's Hat Trick- January 18, 2011<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> 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mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--><i style="">The following is my assessment of hockey’s three most interesting stories of the week. This will be updated weekly. Here’s this week’s edition.</i> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">WOE CANADA?:</b> By now, you already know the story: on January 5, the Canadian national junior team was leading the Russians 3-0 after two periods with a bruising, dominating effort. Then, the Russians blitzed the Canadians with a mesmerizing passing attack that resulted in five unanswered goals in the third to come away with an unexpected victory.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cue the tears and the finger pointing. Then the over-analysis.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, there were problems for Canada in the third. It became apparent that they were tired heading into the third, operating at half the speed they were in the first two periods. Couple that with a Russian passing game that showed signs of breaking out all game long and it was a recipe for disaster. Yes, Mark Visentin should have saved that second goal; and yes head coach Dave Cameron should have used his timeout after the second goal but the truth was the Russians had a comeback in them all game long. Really, the third was going to be all about “weathering the storm” and the Canadians failed at that task miserably.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, is this really time to sound the alarm from coast to coast? No, it’s not.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let’s think about it for a second. First of all, games like this happen all the time, even to the great teams. Despite what we may sometimes think, the players are nonetheless human and they’re prone to mental lapses. It happens. If the Vancouver Canucks blew this lead on the 5<sup>th</sup> we might talk about it for a day then forget about it- the fact that it was the “gold medal game” means that we’ve inflated just how bad the collapse was. Does the Canadian team deserve criticism? Absolutely; but please, let’s not blow this out of proportion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Furthermore, the Canadian team has won a medal in every world junior tournament since 1998 and every year between 1982 and 1997 except 1984, 1987 (the “Punch-up in Pieštany”) and 1992. They’ve also been in the final the past two years despite losing both, and both games were winnable. Sure, there’s a few things we need to correct- we need better goaltending (11 goals in two straight championship games won’t cut it) and we need to start incorporating more skill in our game as opposed to just relying on brute strength- but let’s not panic. Canada’s a long way from falling from its mighty precipice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">CRANIUM SHOTS COME TO A HEAD:</b> This is a story that never seems to end, does it? Once again, “head shots” are in the news again, specifically because the NHL’s Golden Boy, Sidney Crosby, insisted on bringing it up. After being forced out of the lineup because of a concussion- one which Crosby still hasn’t recovered from- Crosby solidified his status as the NHL’s biggest crybaby by lambasting the fact that the league did nothing to David Steckel when the Washington Capital drilled him during the <s>Fall</s> Winter Classic on New Year’s Day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps the NHL was listening, because only a week later, Tom Kostopoulos of the Calgary Flames was dinged with a six-game suspension for running into Detroit Red Wing defenceman Brad Stuart and breaking Stuart’s jaw. Naturally, the Flames and Kostopoulos are crying foul, because, naturally they didn’t think they did anything wrong.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For those of who haven’t seen the plays in question, here’s what happened:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-The Capitals just broke up a Penguins rush in the moments before the Steckel hit happened. As Steckel raced up ice to join the rush, Crosby was hit in the head by Steckel’s shoulder as the Capital brushed by. Steckel claims the hit was accidental, but Crosby pointed out Steckel could have taken a lane that wouldn’t have hit him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-Stuart, however, was hit “head on” by Kostopoulos when the former was trying to bat the puck out of the defensive zone. Like Crosby, Stuart had his head down, but unlike Crosby, his head was facing the play when Kostopoulos charged at him. Kostopoulos did take aim at Stuart and did draw a roughing penalty on the play, but nothing more.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Predictably, what we’ve got is the same old story- the NHL’s “Wheel of Justice” system of random punishments. Crosby is crying foul because he was the victim of a “blindside hit to the head”, the kind of hits that are supposed to be punished more severely this season. Kostopoulos is crying foul because he hit Stuart dead-on and doesn’t think it falls under the “head shot” rule his suspension fell under (technically he’s right). Yet Kostopolous is suspended and Steckel isn’t, being at best a confused application of the head shot rule.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Naturally, most of the hockey media responded by saying that the league should just consider banning “all head shots” and remove the “blindside/lateral” requirement of the head shot rule.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, I’ve got an even better idea- let’s start by calling the penalties we already have. You know, stuff like “charging”, “checking from behind”, “boarding”, and “roughing”. It’s okay, you can all have a minute to look them up in the rulebook- they are there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Did you find them? Good. Now let’s work on <i style="">actually enforcing them on a regular basis</i>. You’d think a self-described “major league” would have a concept like that down to an art but sadly we see time and time again that the best the NHL can do is apply the rules haphazardly; and when violent situations do get out of hand, the league simply cooks up a new rule to cover up the fact they weren’t enforcing the rules they already had.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">‘Cause the players are right- all these rule changes, they just add to the confusion. Couple that with the league’s inconsistent officiating and what you have are the players no longer knowing what’s legal and what isn’t. Small wonder the players feel the need to “police themselves”, ‘cause the league does such a poor job of doing it themselves; and you can only guess where this system of “vigilante justice” goes- in an eye for an eye world, “revenge” violence only escalates until there are no eyes left. Unless the NHL wants eyes- playing and watching- it needs to act soon, before the violence gets to the point where no one will ever pick up a hockey stick ever again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">JURY DUTY AND OTHER WILD NHL ABSENCES:</b> While I was watching the Edmonton Oilers bring new life to an anaemic Los Angeles Kings team on Saturday night (there was nothing else on...), an interesting tidbit came up regarding Ryan Whitney and his absence from the Oilers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">From <i style="">Edmonton Sun</i> columnist Terry Jones’ Twitter feed (<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/sunterryjones/status/26511186904219649">http://twitter.com/#!/sunterryjones/status/26511186904219649</a>):</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“HNIC full of Oilers news tonight. Now saying Ryan Whitney headed under the knife and has <b style="">drawn jury duty</b>.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Details are slim on that story, but apparently on <i style="">Hockey Night In Canada</i> it was revealed that Whitney was supposed to fly out from Carolina back to Edmonton to have the ankle surgery but was held back because he was called for jury duty. Whitney apparently couldn’t get out of it, but it doesn’t matter much anyway- Whitney’s season is apparently over anyway.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The story did inspire me to look into the NHL vault and draw a list of other strange NHL injuries. Here are my top 5 (in no particular order):</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">In 1983, the Edmonton Oilers decided to visit sick children at a local hospital. Andy Moog, who maybe didn’t know the hospital like the rest of his teammates, got lost, wound up in a quarantined area by accident and contracted a viral infection. He didn’t miss significant time (he was, after all, the backup to Grant Fuhr) but he did lose six pounds.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">The St. Louis Blues may have one of the most creative hazing rituals in the NHL. For years, they concoct a plan with local police to trick the rookies into believing they’re being arrested for some heinous crime while the veterans all leave to have some pizza before “rescuing” their bemused comrades (a few years ago the trick was that the rookies would be caught poaching a made up exotic bird).</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">However, in 1984, this prank took an unfortunate turn. Doug Wickenheiser, best known as the surefire prospect in 1980 that just didn’t catch fire, fell asleep in the flatbed of a pickup truck. The truck’s owner didn’t hitch the back padding properly and Wickenheiser fell onto the path of an oncoming car. Fortunately Wickenheiser survived the ordeal but he did injure his knees and missed the entire 1984-85 season.</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Pat Price, another former “can’t-miss prospect” Islander fans want to miss, apparently missed time in 1974 because he sprained his ankle “doing tricks” in his platform shoes. Vancouver Blazers General Manager Joe Crozier (whom Price was to play for in 1974), when he heard of the incident, commented that “he had his money and I guess he figured nothing else mattered, look, the kid was a nice enough kid, but he had no character - his heart was the size of a pea.” Ouch. Speaking of which, where was that biting criticism when Alexandre Daigle was wasting his potential with the Ottawa Senators?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Joe Sakic was known for a lot of things on the ice, from his unique ability to find open spots on the ice to score goals to his undeniable leadership ability. He was also in rock solid conditioning, twice posting two straight 150+ consecutive game streaks in the 2000s (including a 232-game streak from 2004 to 2007). He was, however, hampered by injuries in his final years, including a bizarre injury in 2008- his final season- involving a snowblower.</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">A snowblower? Yes, a snowblower.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">The story apparently goes that Sakic, already out with a herniated disc in his back, was removing snow that was clogging the snowblower. Apparently Sakic didn’t realize where the snow was and placed his hands a little too deep, breaking three fingers and severing some tendons. Fortunately, the power was off, so the fingers survived the accident but it still forced the centreman to miss much of the 2008-09 season, which turned out to be his swan song.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">...and finally, the strangest- and most unfortunate- injury of them all:</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Terry Sawchuck. The former record holder for most shutouts in a career battled depression for most of his playing career and it caught up to him tragically at the end of his career. Shortly after the 1969-1970 season, Sawchuck and teammate Ron Stewart got into an argument over expenses at a home they rented out on Long Island. Details of the argument are sketchy- some say that Stewart and Sawchuck were fighting, while others suggest it was just horseplay- but somehow in the melee, Sawchuck suffered several internal injuries as a result of striking Stewart’s knee. Sawchuck had to have his gallbladder removed and had another operation to repair his damaged liver. Unfortunately, none of the operations worked, and Sawchuck succumbed to a pulmonary embolism on May 31, 1970 at the age of 40. Sawchuck himself took full responsibility for his injuries and exonerated Stewart, a Nassau County grand jury did the same weeks later.</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-21670481925727967302010-12-27T21:48:00.000-08:002010-12-27T21:50:52.440-08:00DG's Hat Trick- December 28, 2010<p><em>The following is my assessment of hockey’s three most interesting stories of the week. This will be updated weekly every Sunday. Here’s this week’s edition.</em></p><p><br /><strong>SIDNEY’S SUPER STREAK:</strong> The talk of the hockey world in the past few weeks is Sidney Crosby’s run at Wayne Gretzky’s record 51-game point scoring streak. Down 3-0 with 3:22 left in the third period against the Ottawa Senators on Monday, Crosby broke Brian Elliott’s shutout bid and extended his point scoring streak to 24 games, the longest streak in the National Hockey League since Mats Sundin recorded a 30-game streak as a rookie in 1992-93. The point streak has seen Crosby net 24 goals and 46 points over that span, taking him to 30 goals and 61 points to move atop the NHL points leaderboard ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos.</p><p><br />It is true that Crosby still has a ways to go before he can seriously threaten Gretzky’s mark, set all the way back in 1983-84 when The Great One was at the height of his powers as an Edmonton Oiler. However, if there is a record of Gretzky’s that Crosby has a realistic shot of breaking, it’s the point streak, and here’s why:</p><p><br />1) Crosby has become more of a complete offensive player in the past two seasons. Last season was the first season where he broke both the 40-goal and 50-goal barriers, meaning teams now have to respect his shot as well as his playmaking ability. This makes him harder for defences to stop because now teams can’t easily figure out what he plans to do with the puck.</p><p><br />2) The point streak has coincided with a rise up the standings by Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins, who are 18-5-1 during Crosby’s run whereas they were just 6-6-1 beforehand, meaning Crosby has firmly put the Penguins on his back and is carrying them as they expected him to.</p><p><br />3) Most importantly, Crosby’s streak comes at a time when Evgeni Malkin- Crosby’s supposed “partner in crime” atop the NHL leaderboard- has looked invisible and largely disinterested (trade bait, perhaps). This means Crosby, who doesn’t have a lot of other offensive support, is doing it all largely on his own.</p><p><br />Considering those three points, it’s reason enough to assume that Gretzky’s mark is in serious danger. The Penguins need Crosby more than ever, and, unlike some undisputed team leaders, Crosby actually knows it and has performed accordingly. Add that to the fact that Crosby has become- indisputably- the game’s best offensive talent and it’s this confluence of events that make it reason enough to think that Crosby actually has a chance to break Gretzky’s record.</p><p><br /><strong>DEVILS FIRE JOHN MACLEAN:</strong> Undeniably the biggest disappointment this season are the New Jersey Devils. While no one was expecting the team to get to the Stanley Cup Finals, no one could have predicted the Devils would be flirting with the NHL’s worst mark at Christmas.<br />The solution? Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello decided to fire head coach John MacLean and rehire Jacques Lemaire- the same coach who “retired” after the Devils were haplessly bounced by the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs last season- for a third go-around.</p><p><br />Will it work? Lamoriello is hoping he can catch lightning in a bottle and rocket the Devils- who now stand at 9-24-2 for 20 points, last in the NHL- to the playoffs. It would only require- at the very least- 36 wins in the team’s next 47 games (to get them to 92 points, the general playoff cutoff since “The Lockout”), or a winning percentage of 76%. Such a streak isn’t unfathomable- the Vancouver Canucks peeled off a similar streak in 2001-02 to rocket themselves to the playoffs- but that team still showed signs of life. This Devils team isn’t close.</p><p><br />To wit, New Jersey’s top goal scorer is Jason Arnott (yes, not 15-year man Ilya Kovalchuk) who leads the team with a paltry nine goals. Kovalchuk himself is a disappointment with an eight goal, 18-point effort so far in 34 games. Only one player- Patrik Elias- has topped the 20-point mark (Elias has 24 points). Worse, one of the Devils’ main offensive and defensive options- Zach Parise- is gone for most of the season, with reports suggesting he is sidelined until March. This puts a lot more pressure on a forward corps who must face teams continually taking away their offensive ice, as offence from the blueline- which opens up the attacking zone- is again nonexistent, with Andy Greene the pacemaker with a paltry two goals and 11 points in 35 games.</p><p><br />Still, the main issue with the Devils? How about the one area you’d never think they’d have an issue with, and that’s goaltending. Simply put, Martin Brodeur and his 3.08 GAA, .884 save percentage and five wins- all well below league average- are just not good enough. You have to wonder if, at age 38, Brodeur has played past his effectiveness at the NHL level. Last season there were signs that Brodeur was aging, being not as nimble as he used to be, but it was still no indication that he couldn’t again be a stellar NHL goaltender again this season. Now, it appears that his time is running out, and unless he sorts himself out soon, it just may be time for the Devils to do the unthinkable and look at other options in net.<br /></p><p><strong>TIME FOR CHANGE IN BUFFALO:</strong> This might be painful, Sabres fans, but I gotta go with it.</p><p><br />In Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, Jochen Hecht scored with 2.3 seconds to go in the second period to give the Buffalo Sabres a 2-1 lead heading into the third period. All Buffalo needed was to hold off the Hurricanes for 20 minutes and they would punch their ticket for a Cup Final they were sure to win against the Edmonton Oilers. The Sabres could even believably expect to hold out with Ryan Miller, then in his breakout season, in net.</p><p><br />Instead, we know what really happened- Carolina dominated the third, tied the score then scored the winning goal off the power play after defenceman Brian Campbell threw the puck over the glass. The Sabres would again reach the Conference Finals in 2007 after winning the President’s Trophy, but they were dominated by the Ottawa Senators and weren’t even close to getting to the Cup Final. Buffalo would miss the playoffs the next two seasons before getting trounced in the playoffs last season by the Boston Bruins.</p><p><br />Now, here the Sabres sit with 32 points- eight points out of the playoffs. It’s not a terrible gap to be saddled with- a good winning streak can bridge the gap- but the Sabres have to hit their stride now, because later in the season that gap will become insurmountable. Still, even if Buffalo bridges the gap and qualifies for the playoffs for only the fourth time since 2001, there is still that sense that this is a team in stagnation in desperate need for a change.</p><p><br />Let’s consider this: GM Darcy Regier and head coach Lindy Ruff have been the management tandem in Buffalo since 1998. What keeps the two around is the fact this team surprised everyone in reaching the Cup Final in 1999 despite being clearly overmatched by the Dallas Stars (forget “No Goal”- the Stars would have won the Cup anyway). Since being two games from the precipice, Buffalo has won a grand total of five playoff rounds and missed the same amount of playoff years. At best, the most Sabres fans can hope for is another whimper of a playoff exit. Lesser tandems have been fired for achieving much less.</p><p><br />So it’s time for Buffalo to make a change and take a stand against continued mediocrity. Yes, the team can blame injuries (like Derek Roy’s) or the salary cap that made them lose key cogs Daniel Briere and Chris Drury after 2007 but those are just excuses- the fact of the matter is after what will be 13 years of Regier and Ruff this is a Sabres team that is really no better than the mediocre teams that came before it. I mean, really, Buffalo’s history since 1981 has been one of marginal competiveness, never breaking through to the next level- isn’t it time the Sabres’ ownership makes a statement by bringing in new blood and stating this continued mediocrity is unacceptable? I think the fans- especially after the debacle against the Florida Panthers- deserve no less.<br /></p><p>-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-75916439289289459882010-12-09T04:23:00.000-08:002010-12-09T04:38:16.264-08:00Is this the point of no return in Leafland?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> 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mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><div style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/sports/2009-nhl-entry-draft-first/image/5355741?term=brian+burke+ron+wilson" target="_blank"><img src="http://view2.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/5355741/2009-nhl-entry-draft-first/2009-nhl-entry-draft-first.jpg?size=380&imageId=5355741" border="0" width="380" title="2009 NHL Entry Draft, First Round" height="570" oncontextmenu="return false;" ondrag="return false;" onmousedown="return false;" alt="MONTREAL - JUNE 26: (L-R) Toronto Maple Leafs President & GM Brian Burke, Special Advisor Cliff Fletcher, First Round Draft Pick Nazem Kadri, Senior VP of Hockey Operations Dave Nonis and Head Coach Ron Wilson stand on the stage during the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft at the Bell Centre on June 26, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)" /></a></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js"></script>It’s beginning to look a lot like déjà-vu all over again for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans. Through 27 games, the Leafs have managed a total of ten wins and 24 points, good for 13<sup>th</sup> in the Eastern Conference, behind the storied Florida Panthers based solely on the fact they have fewer wins. It does mark an improvement from last season and Monday’s come-from-behind win against the Washington Capitals is encouraging; but it’s not the improvement many were hoping as it’s only a one point improvement from this same point last season. Not only that, but the Leafs- yet again- remain well out of the playoff picture, being nine whole points behind the 8<sup>th</sup>-place New York Rangers, a gap that can only widen during the season.<br /><br />That’s not the real bombshell though. The real bombshell is a <i style="">Toronto Star</i> report that Rogers Communications, Canada’s largest media company, is prepared to buy the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan’s (OTPP) 60% share of the Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) for a reported $1.5 billion. The deal would give Rogers, who already own baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays, control of all of Toronto’s major sports assets, bringing in not just the Leafs but basketball’s Toronto Raptors and soccer’s Toronto FC, as well as the Leafs’ minor league affiliate the Toronto Marlies. Considering that Rogers is also gearing for a National Football League team in Toronto, the prospect of a pro sports monopoly in North America’s fifth largest market has the potential to set precedents in not just Canada but across North America as a whole, as whole cities could clamour for similar arrangements for their teams. Whether or not the monopoly is good for sports as a whole is a matter of debate- it could give cities greater control over their teams in battles with their leagues because now the teams are a unified front but it could also lead to managerial neglect simply because one can’t focus on too many divisions at once- but for the Leafs, that’s not such an immediate concern. <p class="MsoNormal">They just want to know where they’re going from here.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You see, back in November of 2008, Brian Burke was hired as the Leafs’ GM under the promise that Toronto’s days as a languishing outfit were over and that they were finally on their way to being legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. After all, not only did Burke win a Cup with the Anaheim Ducks, bringing in important free agent Scott Niedermayer, he also built the Vancouver Canucks from the ground up, restoring to relevancy a franchise that, like the Leafs, was a doormat for too long (maybe the lowest point was when the <i style="">Royal Canadian Air Farce</i> did a sketch in 1999 where Roger Abbot portrayed <i style="">El Niño</i> doing a weather forecast and predicting the Canucks would lose “all the rest of their games (sic)”). Though the Canucks haven’t yet won the Stanley Cup, it was Burke that laid the groundwork for that revival, acquiring the pieces necessary for this year’s run, including the twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin. There was hope that Burke could weave similar magic in Toronto, and, through two seasons, it looked like Burke was on his way, acquiring two of the game’s best young players in Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf in separate trades last season that saw almost the entire Leaf roster overhauled. Though the Kessel trade itself was criticized- the Leafs had to depart with two first round draft picks, one of which turned into Tyler Seguin- there was a trust that Burke knew what he was doing, and that trust seemed to be paying off when the Leafs reeled off four straight wins to start the 2010-11 season, the fastest start of the season for the Leafs since the 1993-94 season when they won ten straight. That team went to the Conference Final, though it did have the incredible luck of drawing the expansionist San Jose Sharks in Round Two that year.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, who knows if that trust still there? I personally didn’t believe the Leafs had to qualify for the playoffs for Burke to keep his job, but they did have to compete for one. After all, the Canucks in Burke’s third season also missed the playoffs, but that Canucks team also was in first place for the first two months of the season and fought for a playoff spot all season long. The Leafs, however, don’t seem to be anything close to that right now, though Toronto is playing noticeably harder this season than they were last season. Having said that, it may be the only positive the Leafs have this season- all the other vital signs are practically dormant.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">First of all, the offensive corps is a mess. Kessel may lead the team in goals, with ten, but he’s far from producing at an elite level, recording just six assists with those goals for an underwhelming 16 points in 27 games. Clarke MacArthur (yes, <i style="">“who?”</i>) leads the team in points with 21 off of nine goals and 12 assists. Those would be good totals if it wasn’t also pointed out that MacArthur had five of those goals in the first four games, meaning he’s just scored four times in the subsequent 23 games. Kris Versteeg, the Leafs’ big offseason acquisition, is performing to standards with 16 points in 27 games, but, like Kessel, he does look lost on an offence that is acting as if it hopes Nazem Kadri is a capable playmaker this early in his NHL career (short answer: no, he’s not). Further to the Leafs’ offensive woes is the regression of Tyler Bozak, who appeared to have potential to break out this season after tearing up the league at the end of last season but is mired in an awful slump this season, recording a paltry nine points in 27 games. Nikolai Kulemin remains the team’s only bright spot, looking poised to improve on his rookie season with a nine-goal effort so far, but it by no means gives Toronto the elite performance they’ve been lacking all season long. Worse, the team’s supposed strong suit- offence from the point- has failed to materialize, as the Leafs’ defence (featuring such names as Tomas Kaberle, Dion Phaneuf and Francois Beauchemin) has produced a grand total of four goals amongst them (Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, Calle Gunnarsson and Luke Schenn each have one goal). To put that in perspective, 24 defencemen have that many goals by themselves, including players such as Marc Staal and Eric Brewer who are not typically known for their offensive prowess. What is worse about that statistic is that none of those defensive goals have come on the power play, the bread and butter of the modern NHL offence and a big reason why the Leafs’ offensive production is not where it should be.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The real eye opener, however, is on penalty killing, which is so bad it prompted <i style="">The Globe and Mail</i>’s Jeff Blair to write that it’s reason enough to terminate Ron Wilson as a coach. Said Blair, “it’s (all) about a team that is 29th out of 30 teams in one of the most coachable areas for a young squad full of guys trying to make their bones: killing penalties.” That part is true, and when you actually watch the Leafs’ penalty killing, you do watch a bunch of players moving around aimlessly without a clue about who exactly they’re supposed to cover. However, it is an aggressive penalty killing unit and does play hard, so it is a correctable error, and coach Wilson does have a trump card to play- even though his Leafs have been horrible at killing penalties, at least they’re not taking them, since Toronto is second in the league with the fewest minors, with just 86. That is also a “coachable” statistic since it means the Leafs are disciplined and provides hope that the dressing room is still giving its ear to Wilson.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">See, the situation is pretty bleak, and it doesn’t look like it can get a whole lot better considering (as stated previously) Toronto doesn’t have its first round draft pick (again) this season; and the snap answer is to wield the axe to Wilson and Burke. However, that’s not the right move at this point in the season.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The positives- as few as they may be- are at least bright enough to suggest that Burke’s silly plan just may work. Let’s not forget he took a lot of heat for trading Bryan McCabe (when he was good) and Vancouver’s first round draft choice in 2000 (Pavel Vorobiev) for one of the draft picks that became the Sedin twins, an eerie coincidence to the heat he took for trading Kessel for the draft picks and look how that turned out (raise your hand if you’d trade one of the Sedins for McCabe and Vorobiev right now. Yeah, I thought so). Yes, Tyler Seguin is having a promising start to his NHL career, but there’s no guarantee he can maintain that pace, and the 2011 Draft doesn’t seem to quite have the same sizzle as drafts previously did (names like Sean Couturier, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson, the top three players in the 2011 Draft, aren’t exactly commanding the same attention Steve Stamkos, Victor Hedman, John Tavares, Seguin and Taylor Hall did in their junior days). At least with Kessel you did get a “proven” commodity, a player who has already shown at a young age to have immense ability (you don’t score 36 goals as a 22-year-old by accident) and still has acres of time to grow. His shot is already one of the league’s best and in time he’ll learn how to best create opportunities for himself on his own (like Ilya Kovalchuk can) and how to develop some consistency. He scored 30 goals by himself last season, so imagine what he could get if he had some support. Give him a centre and maybe we enter Mike Bossy territory...maybe.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Furthermore, this is the league’s youngest team, with an average age of just around 25 years of age. Only three players- Kaberle, goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Beauchemin- are 30 years old, and 15 players are under 26 years of age, so despite the lack of draft picks, there is still a lot of opportunity for improvement in this group. This is much different than the old team that underachieved in the years immediately after the lockout and in the mid-1990s in that at least the Leafs are presenting the prospect of hope. Granted, having young players isn’t enough if they are showing they are not capable of “growing” into their roles, but fortunately the Leafs do have quite a few blue chip prospects in the making. Kessel and Phaneuf need no introduction, both of whom being elite-level players still in the development cycle of their careers. Keith Aulie, acquired in the Phaneuf trade, is looking like he could become one of the league’s better defensive defencemen, performing yeoman work with aplomb. Kulemin, as stated previously, is poised to improve on his numbers from last season and, at times, looks like he could develop into a genuine first-line talent. MacArthur looks like he could be the steal of the season with his unexpected production, especially if he can find his way back to the scoreboard with greater consistency. Versteeg also appears to be taking his new role as a top-line player in stride, doing more to create plays than he did as a peripheral member of the Chicago Blackhawks. Then there’s Kadri, who might not be the elite-level playmaker the Leafs desperately need but still does show promise on the ice, regularly creating plays like Versteeg does. We still haven’t even gotten to Jonas Gustavsson, whose save percentage is at a respectable .902 clip and is showing that he’s capable of stealing games for the Leafs in the future. He reminds me a lot of another goaltender the Leafs currently have, someone who happens to be their starter and stole a lot of games in his younger days...you know, Giguere? Let’s just hope Gustavsson doesn’t get riddled with injuries like “Giggy” did.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, those two paragraphs of positives isn’t much of a positive to go on- as every Leaf fan already knows, “hope” doesn’t always pan out and this isn’t the first time Toronto fans were told they had a reason to “Be-Leaf”. However, I dare you to write that similar passage at any point of the Leafs’ history since 1967. You certainly couldn’t during the forgettable Harold Ballard years where mismanagement and constant meddling meant that player development and talent scouting was haphazard at best (hello Tom Kurvers...). You also couldn’t during the 1990s, where Cliff Fletcher essentially built the 1993 team based on one trade and thus got one shot, forcing him into high priced free agents as the decade waned. You also couldn’t to begin the 2000s, when Leaf management solely believed veterans were the way to go and forgetting to develop, meaning Toronto never could take that “next step”. Lastly, you sure couldn’t write that passage when John Ferguson Jr. was running the town, because his cluelessness in, well, just about every department saddled the team with a veteran-laced team that was past its prime and had no hope whatsoever. Yes, this may not be the most heralded batch of youngsters ever assembled, but at least it provides hope that something can actually pan out. Besides, Burke happens to be the first GM the Leafs have had that had previously won the Cup and is actually building with youth- Fletcher never did. That alone should give Burke a stronger chance to prove himself, and Wilson a decent shot at finishing his job, because, after all, we still don’t know if this team can actually pan out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I will grant this much- if the Leafs tank and are again at the bottom of the standings this season, then it would be time to shake up the management. The impending Rogers deal means that this is it, if things don’t appear to turn around this season- even just slightly- then there’s no more time to wait to see if it does because after three seasons there should be some improvement, not stagnation. However, there’s still time for a rebound in this long season and if it happens it could be the harbinger of things to come. The Stanley Cup parade is still a long time coming, but, for once, maybe it isn’t just a dream anymore.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-13013663428114122522010-11-20T05:29:00.000-08:002010-11-20T05:30:42.213-08:00Hockey loses Pat Burns, but it shouldn’t vote him to the Hall<p class="MsoNormal">For those of you who don’t know, Burns, the former head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils, passed away yesterday after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 58.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">To the family of Pat Burns, his friends and his fans, I give you my deepest sympathies for your loss. He was a beloved man in the hockey community, an intense competitor on the ice but a fatherly figure off the ice. He touched the lives of so many players, coaches and fans that few playing the game today didn’t feel his presence. He almost didn’t have a coaching career, having been convinced into it by Wayne Gretzky who hired him in 1984 to coach his Hull Olympiques team when Burns was working as a police officer, only coaching minor league hockey on the side. He wouldn’t leave coaching until cancer struck in 2005, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 1989 with Montreal, the conference finals twice with the Maple Leafs in 1993 and 1994 and finally winning a Cup in 2003 with the Devils. He contemplated a return to coaching a few seasons ago when the cancer was in remission, but had to give it up in 2009 when doctors discovered cancer in his lungs, which ultimately claimed his life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">An outpouring of support would follow, and part of that would be a Facebook group- which gained 39,000 members in its first week- dedicated to bringing Burns to the Hall before he passed away. The Hall did not oblige, electing instead Daryl Seaman (the one responsible for bringing the Flames to Calgary from Atlanta) and Jim Devellano (who won seven Stanley Cups in a variety of administrative roles with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings) this past June. I know I’m in the minority here, but I agree with the Hall- Burns is not a Hall of Fame coach.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s right- Pat Burns is *not* a Hall of Fame coach. I hate to be a buzzkill, but once you actually step away and examine his case, you’d realize his case is based more on emotion that pure logic, and that’s not how the Hall should operate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Don’t get me wrong- Burns was a good coach. There’s a reason why he lasted so long in a league that eats coaches for breakfast and it’s because he did have skill. However, it’s a stretch to call him a legend or an innovator, which are the parameters for election into the Hall as a builder- especially the latter. Coaches either had to bring something new to the game or have extraordinary success at it in order to be inducted. Since the Hall can only induct two builders a year and that those builders can come from anywhere in the hockey administrative world (coaches, General Managers, presidents, owners, league presidents, presumably commissioners...) it’s not automatic that a coach gets inducted into the Hall. There probably should be a separate category for coaches because that’s an entirely different aspect of the game than being a GM or a president, but that’s a debate for another day. The fact of the matter is, Burns is just not a Hall of Fame coach.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">First, we need to understand the argument for Burns. He coached four NHL teams and had initial success with every one of them. A year after taking the Montreal job he was two games away from the Stanley Cup and won the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year. The year he resigned as Montreal coach- in 1992, after an early playoff exit- he signed on as the Leafs’ head coach. The following two springs he’d lead Toronto to the Conference Finals, its best showing since 1967, leading to another Adams in 1993. For 1997-98, he signed on as Bruins coach and led the team back to the playoffs a year after its 29-year playoff streak ended ingloriously and won another Adams Trophy. Five seasons later, he’d lift the Stanley Cup for the only time in his career as coach of the Devils. In all those stints, Burns found a way to amass 501 wins in 1,019 games, with 165 ties or overtime losses for a “points percentage” of .573, which is good enough for 28<sup>th</sup> all time among coaches with at least three seasons and 100 games coached. That, and the three Adams trophies- the only time a coach has won it three different times with different teams- forms the basis for Burns’ Hall of Fame case.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Question is, does that do enough? The next part is to understand who is in the Hall ahead of Burns. Of all NHL coaches with three or years of experience and 100 games coached, 14 are enshrined in the Hall simply as builders- Scotty Bowman, Glen Sather, Al Arbour, Punch Imlach, Tommy Ivan, Tommy Gorman, Harry Sinden, Bob Johnson, Rudy Pilous, Emile Francis, Roger Neilson, Herb Brooks, Conn Smythe and Craig Patrick. Several of those names should be familiar, and most shouldn’t have any debate to their enshrinement. Nine of those men have won at least one Stanley Cup, with six having at least two Cups to their credit. Of the three with just one Cup (where Burns stands), two of them- Sinden and Pilous- achieved other honours, Sinden being GM for much of Boston’s record 29-year consecutive playoff streak and Pilous being the Winnipeg Jets coach when they dominated the World Hockey Association. The third was Johnson and was likely elected out via an appeal to emotion, being elected a year after he died of brain cancer, though Johnson did have a long, illustrious career as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This leaves five builders who do not have a Cup. Two of the five men without a Cup as a coach- Smythe and Patrick- won Cups in other capacities, Smythe as the longtime owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Patrick as General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins; while a third, Brooks, got in largely on the basis of his achievements in orchestrating the “Miracle On Ice” in 1980. Francis’ case is pretty flimsy, though he does have a long hockey career to his credit, even if it was unremarkable. Neilson, too, is a flimsy case, as he was voted in via the emotional route too, being enshrined while he was battling cancer, though, like Francis, he did have a long career in hockey, although it too was unremarkable.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, it’d be erroneous to conclude those 14 coaches are the standard-bearers for election. Overall, there have been 44 coaches who have won at least one Cup- including Burns- who have been coaches for at least three seasons and 100 games, and another 14- Toe Blake (8 Cups), Hap Day (5), Dick Irvin (4), Jack Adams (3), Lester Patrick (2), Tom Johnson (1), Joe Primeau (1), Jacques Lemaire (1), Art Ross (1), Leo Dandurand (1), Larry Robinson (1), Eddie Gerard (1), Frank Boucher (1)- are already in as players. Of those 14, half of those have Hall of Fame credentials to be a coach- Blake, Day, Irvin, Adams, Patrick, Lemaire and Robinson. The first five have multiple Cups and thus have better credentials than Burns does, while Lemaire and Robinson have other honours to call their own. Lemaire may just have one Cup but that one Cup- in 1995- started the age of the neutral zone trap, which the Devils worked to perfection in 2000 and 2003, coincidentally the years Robinson and Burns won their Cups. As for Robinson, he went right back to the Cup Final in 2001 before losing to Ray Bourque’s Team of Destiny (the Colorado Avalanche) and served as an assistant to Burns in 2003, going in that role because Lou Lamoriello fired him near the end of the season prior. In essence, Robinson “continued” Lemaire’s job and may have had more Cups if Lamoriello didn’t have an itchy trigger finger.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How does Burns compare? Of the 28 coaches selected, 10 have one Cup or less, with Smythe, Patrick and Sinden being tossed from the equation since they achieved their credentials largely outside of their coaching careers. This leaves us with 25 coaches to evaluate and just seven (Johnson, Pilous, Lemaire, Robinson, Francis, Neilson and Brooks) with one Cup or less, a group where Burns more realistically belongs as Cup rings are always the standard-bearer in hockey.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of those seven, Burns actually has a better regular season points percentage than all but one coach (Francis) and all but two coaches in the playoffs (Robinson and Johnson). However, as mentioned earlier, almost all the coaches have credentials Burns doesn’t have. Pilous dominated the WHA with the Jets, Lemaire popularized the neutral zone trap and set the current Devils in motion, Brooks helmed “The Miracle On Ice” and Johnson can at least lean on his days building the Wisconsin Badgers. Francis and Neilson, we’ve already established, are flimsy cases and probably shouldn’t be in the Hall, though both have enjoyed far longer careers than Burns did. This then leads to Robinson, the closest comparison to Burns in the Hall; and even here Robinson leads. As mentioned earlier, Robinson took the Devils to two straight Cup Finals (winning once) and was an assistant in 2003, Burns’ first year as head coach. Robinson was far from a peripheral figure that year and while Burns certainly updated his tactics, he didn’t change much from Robinson’s game plan, meaning the 2003 victory was as much Burns’ Cup as it is Robinson’s Cup.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, the main reason why Burns shouldn’t be in the Hall is that he never sustained his success anywhere. Yes, you hear a lot about his three Adams victories and his Cup, but each victory came at the start of his coaching stints. After leading Montreal to the Cup Final in 1989, Burns never got out of the second round and there reports of tension between him and star centre Denis Savard, who felt Burns stifled his game. After the magical year of 1993, Burns may have led the Leafs to the Conference Final in 1994 but they were lucky, drawing the expansionist San Jose Sharks after they upset the mighty Detroit Red Wings in Round 1 and were promptly booted in the Conference Final by a gamer Vancouver Canucks team. He would be fired two seasons later with the Leafs sputtering, Burns unable to build on his initial success. The story in Boston would be much the same, with Burns actually improving on his first season by leading Boston to Round 2 (before meeting the Domonik Hasek Wall and the Buffalo Sabres), but a year later the Bruins would crash and miss the playoffs. The following season, Burns’ Bruins put up only three wins in its first eight games which were enough for Sinden, who fired Burns after he failed- again- to improve on his initial season. Then there were the Devils. After his Cup win, he failed to get deep in the playoffs a year later, crashing meekly in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games. It may be true that a cancer diagnosis more correctly ended Burns’ era in New Jersey than a firing, but suffice to say the trend of a great start and a meek finish looked like it was forming in New Jersey as well. It is true that in Burns’ time there wasn’t a lot patience with coaches to begin with, but all of the coaches that compare with Burns had sustained success somewhere.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other side of the coin is, if we elect Burns, who is next? Does this mean we start thinking about “Iron” Mike Keenan in the Hall? Keenan has what is likely the 1990s’ most celebrated Cup with the 1994 New York Rangers, he’s won an Adams Trophy and made three Cup Finals, with a points percentage close to Burns’ at .555. I don’t see any push to get Keenan enshrined, yet he has just as good a career as Burns. What about Terry Crisp, who has a .515 points percentage and one Cup (the 1989 Cup that Burns lost) over ten seasons despite the fact he never really got anywhere with anyone. What about Bob Hartley, who has a superior points percentage than Burns (.579) and a Cup? Never mind that the Cup he won was because the team rallied around Bourque and that he took over the job Marc Crawford started. What about Jacques Demers, the head coach who won the 1993 Stanley Cup that Burns was a game away from playing? Demers has a higher winning percentage in the playoffs than Burns does (.561 to .523), he has one Cup and he didn’t let a handicap like illiteracy hamper his coaching abilities. Then there’s John Muckler, who coached from 1969 to 2000, won the Buffalo Sabres’ first playoff round in ten years in 1993, won a Cup in 1990 with the remnants of the Edmonton Oilers’ dynasty (and served as an assistant under Sather during the actual dynasty) and has a better playoff winning percentage than Burns. There’s several other coaches I could name but I’ll stop there because my point is that if you elect Burns you’d also have to think about electing those coaches who don’t exactly have truly remarkable pedigrees.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Besides, while we’re talking about coaches who are *not* in the Hall...whatever happened to Fred Shero? Shouldn’t he be in? Surely Burns can’t go in before an innovator like Shero)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sure, you can argue- like <i style="">The NHL on TSN</i> did- that had cancer not gotten in the way that Burns could have had legendary statistics. It may be true (though the decline in New Jersey leads me to believe otherwise), but it’s like saying we should elect Luc Bourdon to the Hall of Fame because he “could have” had a great career if he hadn’t gotten in a motorcycle crash or that Michel Briere- a promising rookie in 1970- should be in the Hall because he “could have” had a great career if he hadn’t been in a car accident in the summer of 1970. You have to rate Burns’ work on what he provided, and while it is good, it’s not remarkable- and that alone should take him out of the Hall equation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was unfortunate that hockey lost a great coach and person yesterday but it shouldn’t cloud the facts. Based on the coaches already in the Hall of Fame, Burns ranks poorly against the Hall standard, having fewer credentials than those with similar stats to him. Furthermore, his career- while statistically good- is marked with initial successes and ultimate stagnation, with Burns being unable to sustain his success anywhere. Finally, if we were to let Burns in, we’d have to let in other, quite frankly, unremarkable coaches whom no one else thinks belongs in the Hall. Yes, it’s unfortunate what happened, but this shouldn’t obscure our logic. The Burns campaign is one based purely on emotion and that’s no way to win an argument. The truth is, if Burns wasn’t dying no one would think of him as a Hall of Fame coach, and that’s one strong point to think about. The hockey world should mourn the loss- but it shouldn’t let sentiment get in the way of reality.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-65145124626596958942010-10-05T00:23:00.000-07:002010-10-05T00:39:35.586-07:00Into The Crystal Ball: 2010-11 Regular Season Edition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> 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mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/edmonton-oilers-eberle/image/9910142?term=NHL" target="_blank"><img src="http://view2.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9910142/edmonton-oilers-eberle/edmonton-oilers-eberle.jpg?size=500&imageId=9910142" border="0" width="400" title="Edmonton Oilers Eberle dives for the puck while Calgary Flames White clears the puck during their pre-season NHL hockey game in Calgary" height="490" oncontextmenu="return false;" ondrag="return false;" onmousedown="return false;" alt="Edmonton Oilers Jordan Eberle (14) dives for the puck while Calgary Flames Ian White clears the puck during the third period of their pre-season NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, October 3, 2010. REUTERS/Todd Korol (CANADA - Tags: SPORT ICE HOCKEY)" /></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js"></script><p>With NHL training camps winding down, it can only mean one thing- games are going to start to count. So it’s the perfect time to crack out the Crystal Ball and show you just how the season- including your Stanley Cup winner will play out; with the final standings and each round predicted and analyzed. <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Regular Season</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Eastern Conference</u></b></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Philadelphia Flyers.</b> Even though they didn’t win, the Flyers’ 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs odyssey will go down in history as one of hockey’s greatest journeys. Making the playoffs on the final day in a dramatic shootout win over the New York Rangers, the Flyers later overcame a 3-0 series deficit (only the fourth time in all of professional sports that has happened) against the Boston Bruins to propel them eventually all the way to the Cup Final. A lot was made of the fact the Flyers were a #7 seed, but the truth is this was a Philadelphia team that awoke during the playoffs after an off-year, and the pieces are there to make a repeat performance. Captain Mike Richards showed during those playoffs that he could legitimately rank among the best in the game, adding great hockey instincts and defensive smarts to a game that features highlight-reel hits and shots. Richards is complimented up front by super sniper Jeff Carter, big Scott Hartnell, breakout star Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere, finally living up to his large salary; plus, if James van Riemsdyk breaks out this season- as what should happen- the Flyers may have the deepest forward cast in the East. The loss of Simon Gagne will hurt, but Philadelphia should still be fine without him. On defence, the Flyers can boast a deep cast as well, starting with twin anchors Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen, the mobile Braydon Coburn and newcomer Andrej Meszaros (essentially traded for Gagne), who should add much needed scoring punch to the blueline. The questions start in goal, because the Flyers are banking on Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher being able to reproduce for a whole season what they did in the last three months of the year. If they can do that, then the Flyers might have a legitimate shot at winning the Cup. Regardless, they have the talent to at least comfortably win the Eastern Conference regular season crown.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Ottawa Senators.</b> Yes, head coach Cory Clouston may play “Nashville Predators hockey”, using a bland, strict positional structure (more suitable for teams like the Predators without much natural talent) that stifles his forwards’ creativity; and, yes, he should allow players like Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza use their talents a bit more, but there’s no arguing with Clouston’s success. Ottawa built upon their strong finish from the playoff-less 2008-09 season to a strong fifth place showing in the East a year ago, being paced up front by Alfredsson, Spezza, big Milan Michalek (whose absence was sorely felt in the playoffs) and the two-way play of Mike Fisher. They’ll finally have some support on the blueline, as the Senators made a huge splash in the free agent market in signing Sergei Gonchar, whose offensive prowess should spark a mediocre power play and an offence that was frankly underperforming. Gonchar will also be slot in as the team’s anchor, being the clear No. 1 defenceman on a competent (but not overpowering) incumbent blueline corps that already featured the defensive prowess of Chris Phillips. Finally, Brian Elliott established himself as the team’s starter, giving Ottawa a solution in goal that they have been lacking for years. It’s not really an overpowering group but it’s a competent group and with the addition of Gonchar sparking the offence, it should bring the Senators back to the summit of the Northeast Division for the first time since 2006.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Washington Capitals.</b> Last year was supposed to be the season Washington took the next step. Alexander Ovechkin, the team’s de facto leader ever since his debut, was made the team’s real leader by being named the captain in January, replacing the departed Chris Clark; and responded by leading the team to the President’s Trophy title and a 3-1 series lead in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens. However, in one of the greatest upsets in NHL history, the Capitals failed to win the decisive game, running into the Jaroslav Halak stop sign and a position-wise Canadiens team that took advantage of Washington’s lack of a net presence (as Mike Knuble underperformed), suspect goaltending or players actually capable of patrolling the defensive zone. This season promises to be a repeat, with a strong offence featuring Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom (who also broke the century mark in points), sniper Alexander Semin, Tomas Fleischmann, the surprising Brooks Laich and defenceman Mike Green, who again posted a point a game pace from the blueline. However, that’s where the positives end. There’s still no adequate net presence outside of Knuble (who is getting up there in age at 38 and he’s not in the elite, the piece the Caps need) and there are questions regarding the defence (a game Green still hasn’t learned yet) and goaltending. The Capitals are hoping youngsters John Carlson and Karl Alzner can break out, especially Carlson, who appeared to be an anchor-in-waiting in the playoffs. Washington also has to hope Semyon Varlamov becomes the goaltender they need, which is a long prospect considering Varlamov has yet to show any signs of becoming even a NHL starter one day. They’ll still be the class of the Southwest because they still have the most talent in the division, but unless the youngsters pan out, contending for the Cup is still a long way away.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Montreal Canadiens.</b> The magic returned to Montreal after an inspiring playoff run that saw the Canadiens knock off the heavily favoured Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in two consecutive rounds. The Canadiens did it through strong team play, strong defence and strong goaltending. The goaltending part is gone, as Montreal decided to trade playoff hero Jaroslav Halak for budding prospect Lars Eller, but everything else is still the same. The forward corps is still a workmanlike group led by Mike Cammalleri, who broke though in the playoffs last season as Montreal’s big money sniper. His main support is Tomas Plekanec, back after a career year with 70 points, and new captain Brian Gionta, though Montreal would be better served getting their money’s worth from Scott Gomez. On defence, Montreal can still rely on the services of all-world Andrei Markov, though if Markov can’t go (because he is injury prone), the Canadiens can lean on the big Hal Gill, the yeoman Josh Gorges, the mobile Jaroslav Spacek and P.K. Subban, the super rookie who dazzled last year in the playoffs and should make a bigger impact with the team this season. The wild card is Carey Price, once held to be Patrick Roy’s heir apparent but has been anything but; though the flashes of brilliance suggest that he could still be the player he was thought he could become. If Price becomes that goaltender then the Canadiens could challenge for the Conference title, but if not, then Montreal reverts to being a comfortable playoff team, but make no mistake- the Canadiens are back.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">New Jersey Devils.</b> Make sense of this- the Devils, known for the defence, decide to acquire Ilya Kovalchuk, who may be the league’s best one-shot scorer but also has the biggest allergy to defence. Then the Devils watch him tank in the first round against the Philadelphia Flyers en route to an embarrassing five game defeat (becoming the first team eliminated in the process) and decide he’s worth a major recommitment, so much so that his contract had to be negotiated twice because the league didn’t like the first one. Kovalchuk is now signed for 15 years at $100 million, a curious cap hit of $6.66 million, which means New Jersey is clearly thinking about life after Martin Brodeur, who is still around but will likely retire soon as he is 38. It may be good news for the fans, but the team may learn to regret the signing, since the Devils were forced to get rid of top defenceman Paul Martin, who had to walk as a free agent. It’s the defence that will be the Achilles’ Heel of this team, since there’s no offence on the backend <i style="">at all</i>, with the highest returning goal total being Andy Greene’s six goals (that will surely scare the opposition). The Devils did sign Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov which should shore up the defensive side of the game, but there’s no defenceman capable of starting any rush, which will hurt the offence. What will bring New Jersey back to the playoffs, though, are those forward corps, who will have to do more work than they should in bringing the puck up ice, because it’s deep. In addition to Kovalchuk, the Devils can lean on the dynamic Patrik Elias, Brian Rolston’s big shot and the two-way play of Zach Parise, captain Jamie Langenbrunner and Travis Zajac. That is a scary bunch of top six forwards, though further down the line the checking support they used to have is gone. Still, when you have Brodeur you can afford to take risks, because Brodeur is still among the best, even if he’s losing his step. It adds up to another playoff run for the Devils, but unless they can get a puck-moving defenceman, they won’t be anything more than a playoff team.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Buffalo Sabres.</b> Don’t be fooled by the Sabres’ second division title in four years- this is hardly a Stanley Cup contending team. The improvements of Ottawa and Montreal means that a repeat division title isn’t likely, but a repeat playoff berth should be. Last season Buffalo established itself as a workmanlike group throughout its roster, utilizing speed in a mainly defensive approach, creating offence out of turnovers. The talent is there on offence, though, as four players broke the 20-goal plateau last season and six broke the 40-point barrier, which aren’t world-beating performances but it does mean the Sabres get the job done. It’s primarily a mobile group that are mainly playmakers (who need a scorer), led up front by Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Thomas Vanek (who the Sabres hope his 28 goals last season was an off-year) and the two-way play of Jochen Hecht, one of the league’s most underrated players. The Sabres may also receive breakout performances from Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis, who impressed in spurts last season; while free agent acquisition Rob Niedermayer will bring needed stability to the checking unit. On defence, super rookie Tyler Myers looks to eventually become the team’s anchor and should return among the team’s top defencemen this season, joined at the top by stay-at-home defenders captain Craig Rivet and Steve Montador, with Jordan Leopold coming in to provide much needed offence from the backend. Lastly, there’s Ryan Miller, the perennial Veznia candidate who doesn’t need much introduction, as Buffalo’s last line of defence. It’s a competitive group, but it’s still a ways from becoming a contender- and though the team preaches patience, its fanbase may be running out of it, since this has been the state the Sabres have been in for ages. It’s prudent that the team make more strides this season, or else General Manager Darcy Regier will have to look elsewhere for work.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">New York Rangers.</b> There may not be a greater “what if” scenario last season than that final shootout for the Rangers. Get this- with the season on the line, Rangers coach John Tortorella decides his best player, Marian Gaborik, shouldn’t take part in it. Sure, Gaborik has been terrible in shootouts (he’s 2 for 18, or a paltry 11%), but your best player should be given an opportunity to win the most important game of the season, no? Oh well, on to this season, where Gaborik again becomes the outright leader on offence (his 42 goals was more than double any other total last season, and his 86 points was nearly 30 points greater than the second best player), though Gaborik does have *some* support up front, even if it isn’t much. Alexander Frolov comes in as a free agent, as does former Elitserien scoring leader Mats Zuccarello-Aasen, with Vaclav Prospal (who was the second highest scorer) returning. It’s still a competent and mobile forward corps, which means even if goals don’t easily come, they won’t give up too many either because they’ll be backchecking. The defence follows the same mould, being small but speedy, led by youngsters Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Michael Del Zotto and wily veteran Michal Rozsival and while there’s not an anchor in that bunch, it’s still serviceable enough to be effective. Then there’s goal, where “King” Henrik Lundqvist returns and should be among the Vezina candidates for another season. It boils down to another group that should be good enough to make the playoffs but that’s it- which could placate Ranger fans but not for long, since this team- like the Sabres- refuses to take the next step, a fact that could cost General Manager Glen Sather his job. Therefore, strides will need to be made or else change will be in order.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Tampa Bay Lightning.</b> OK, so last season was a mess, with ownership squabbles and management issues, but, despite all that, the Lightning managed an improvement. Really. Now the ownership is set and so is management (Steve Yzerman takes over as General Manager while former American Hockey League coach Guy Boucher takes over as coach), meaning we can finally see what this team is capable of; and what a team it is. Steve Stamkos broke out last season with a 51-goal, 95-point performance that topped the team, one point ahead of veteran Martin St. Louis, which made up for the down year of Vincent Lecavalier, whom the Lightning are banking will bounce back this season. The good news is that Lecavalier, St. Louis and Stamkos- the new “Big Three” of franchise players in Tampa- will have ample support, in the form of big Simon Gagne, Steve Downie and Ryan Malone, as well as the underappreciated two-way play of Domonic Moore, coming in after a year in Montreal. The defence is set too, with Victor Hedman ready to make strides in becoming the team’s anchor along with veteran Mattias Ohlund and free agent pickups Brett Clark and Pavel Kubina, the latter returning after a four-year sojourn in Toronto and Atlanta. Finally, the Lightning have a solution in goal, with Dan Ellis coming in to become the team’s starter though Mike Smith is no slouch either. The talent is there to suggest this is a contender in the making (though they’ll need Hedman to become an anchor for that to happen) but a return to the playoffs is more than likely.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Pittsburgh Penguins.</b> All right, so last season I predicted the Penguins would miss the playoffs and they didn’t, so why am I going back to it again this season? For the simple reason that the Canadiens showed the world just how to beat them and how far Pittsburgh really has fallen. Sure, the Penguins have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but I dare you to name anyone else. No cheating. Time’s up...get the point? Yes, most teams would kill to have even just one of Crosby or Malkin, but the truth is the Penguins haven’t given them a lick of support, and the cast is even barer this season than it was a season ago- Sergei Gonchar, the team’s anchor, departed for Ottawa to be replaced by the serviceable (though hardly No. 1 quality) Paul Martin, with the team’s other offensive weapon on the backend, Jordan Leopold, also leaving to be replaced by the primarily defensive Zbynek Michalek. This will put even more pressure on Alex Goligoski and Kristopher Letang to have breakout seasons, which are no guarantees, meaning that offence from the blueline- a big part of the Penguin game- will be at a premium in 2010-11. There certainly won’t be any offence from the forwards outside of the duo we know too well, since it’s just an army of checkers (though Chris Kunitz has ability, though he’s more of a second-line guy than a guy who could legitimately play with Crosby or Malkin). In goal the Penguins have Marc-Andre Fleury, who is good but not great, which should keep the team afloat as well as the magic from head coach Dan Bylsma (who has done more with less for two straight seasons), but without an injection of talent- and soon- Pittsburgh’s fight for the playoffs will wind up coming up short.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Toronto Maple Leafs.</b> OK, so the Phil Kessel trade didn’t work out the way General Manager Brian Burke thought it would, because losing out on Tyler Seguin really hurts. However, last year was a fluke, and there are enough pieces to suggest this Leaf team is capable of making a run at the playoffs, even if they’ll ultimately fall short. Kessel returns for a full season and has some help on the top six forward lines in newcomer Kris Versteeg, Nikolai Kulemin, big Colby Armstrong and potentially Tyler Bozak, who impressed as the season wound down last year. Kessel is still the only top-line player in that group, but at least he won’t have to do *all* the scoring himself. Defence is the real strength of the Leafs, with Dion Phaneuf coming in from the Calgary Flames and establishing himself as one of the league’s top anchors, a performance that earned Phaneuf the captain’s “C” this season. Phaneuf will be joined by other top-line defenders Francois Beauchemin and Mike Komisarek, as well as an indeterminate time with perennial trade bait Tomas Kaberle. Lower down the defensive depth chart are youngsters Luke Schenn, Matt Lashoff, Carl Gunnarsson and Brett Lebda, players who would all be second-tier defenders on any other team. Finally, the goaltenders are both solid, in the form of Jean-Sebastien Giguere (who could return to his elite-level performance) and Jonas Gustavsson, who showed flashes of brilliance indicating a future career as a starter. It points to major strides for the Leafs this season, which is all Burke needs to retain his job (when he took over the Vancouver Canucks he needed three seasons to get them back into the playoffs, with that third season being one where the Canucks competed for a playoff berth, a process that the Leafs are following), but no playoffs- unless another top-level forward emerges to help Kessel out.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Boston Bruins.</b> Sure, this team made the playoffs with what was essentially a ragtag group of forwards, strong, defensive defencemen and Tuukka Rask, but the Bruins last year had Marc Savard, who could be gone for the whole season after his disappointing concussion setback this summer. The playoffs may still be a challenge even with Savard, since all of the Bruins’ competitors have gotten better and the Bruins have largely stood pat. Nathan Horton does arrive from Florida to give Boston another power forward (as if they didn’t have enough of those) and should work on the first line (especially with Savard) but after him and returnee David Krejci, there’s no one else on the team with even top six forward potential. On defence the story is even bleaker. Captain Zdeno Chara, one of the best all-around defencemen in the game, returns but returns with little support, as Dennis Wideman- the team’s only puck moving defenceman- was dealt for Horton, meaning the Bruins are hoping Chara can fill in there, even though Chara isn’t known for his passing skills. Boston could get lucky and Johnny Boychuck could emerge after a breakout performance in the playoffs, but that’s no guarantee. Finally, there’s Rask, who was brilliant last season but has to prove he can play a full season (he only played 44 games last year), though having former Veznia winner Tim Thomas as a backup is a good insurance policy. Still, unless Rask or Thomas can start scoring goals, it’s going to be a long season in Boston, making the pain of being just the fourth professional sports team to blow a 3-0 series lead hurt even more- and longer.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Atlanta Thrashers.</b> Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox- known for his largely sensationalist and grandiose pieces- wrote an article claiming that the Thrashers- yes, this ragtag group that just had Ilya Kovalchuk painfully wrested away from them- are in line to make the 2011 playoffs. He bases this largely on the expected breakout performances of players like Niclas Bergfors, Bryan Little and Evander Kane, who, if they all hit their potential, can be the game breakers the Thrashers desperately need. However, expecting a breakout can be just like a card game- sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, making it largely a game of chance. Therefore, I follow my own rule and not make predictions based on expected breakouts (because you can’t tell if they will actually happen) and apply it here to the Thrashers, analyzing the team simply on what I know. What I know is that this is a young team that has a lot of potential- in addition to Bergfors, Little and Kane, there’s also defencemen Zach Bogosian (already an alternate captain), 2010 draft pick Aleksandr Burmistrov, goaltender Ondrej Pavelec and forward Andrew Ladd- but few established players, the only ones really being Tobias Enstrom and newcomer Dustin Byfuglien. Yes, this is an exciting group that should challenge for the playoffs in the near future and could do so this season, but until I see results I won’t put them there yet.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Florida Panthers.</b> J-Bouw, oh where did you go? Remember 2008, when the Panthers faced the dilemma of whether or not to trade impending free agent Jay Bouwmeester, a decision that could have (and whose rumours likely did) impact the team’s playoff push? Those days are long gone, and Florida doesn’t look like they’ll come close to competing for them this season. There’s the expected youth on this team and quite a bit of is promising, like defencemen Erik Gudbranson (the third overall selection in 2010), Dmitry Kulikov, Keaton Ellerby and forwards Evgeni Dadonov, Michal Repik and Kenndal McArdle, but there’s few established stars, though one is Michael Frolik, who is all of 22 years old. Joining Frolik up front are capable first-line players Stephen Weiss and David Booth, but past those players there’s not much else outside of the serviceable Michael Grabner and veterans Cory Stillman and Steven Reinprecht. The defence is at least decent, with Bryan McCabe’s shot combining with newcomer Dennis Wideman’s passing (deadly for the power play) as well as solid defensive types Bryan Allen and newcomer Nathan Paetsch, but there’s not much else afterward. Finally, in goal there’s Tomas Voukoun, who is still among the league’s elite with a .926 save percentage last year, but he can only do so much without much support in front of him. Unless some of those youngsters break out and fill out the depth chart, it’s going to be a long season in South Beach.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Carolina Hurricanes.</b> It’s a bit hard to believe this team was in the Conference Finals two seasons ago but they were, and now continues the rebuilding process (but they’ll likely be back in the playoffs in 2012, because Carolina always makes the playoffs after two seasons out of it, and this is the second season since their playoff appearance). The Hurricanes said goodbye to two quality veterans this past offseason, Rod Brind’amour to retirement and Ray Whitney to free agency, leaving what was already a bare cupboard even more bare. Outside of defencemen Joni Pitkanen and Joe Corvo, superstar forward Eric Staal and goaltender Cam Ward, there’s not a whole lot to work with on this roster in terms of NHL talent, though Jussi Jokinen is serviceable and Brandon Sutter looks like he could be a breakout star after potting a respectable 40 points last year in 71 games. Still, unless there are some surprise performances, don’t expect the Hurricanes to do anything except compete for last in the East, missing out because they at least have the superstar in Staal.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">New York Islanders.</b> I don’t care that the Islanders didn’t finish last in 2009-10- they’re going to do it in 2011, because all the teams that they finished ahead of- Toronto and Florida- have improved (well, Florida has only slightly...). This is going to be another year of the youth growing on Long Island, with players like John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson all looking to build on what were promising seasons in 2009-10, Tavares debuting with 54 points to lead the Islanders (though he faded as the second half of the season rolled on) and Moulson surprising most (but not me) with a 30-goal campaign. Past that group, there’s hardly any other NHL-ready talent, with just Mark Streit posting 48 points (ranking him among the league leaders on defence) and Dwayne Roloson in goal qualifying, though if veteran Doug Weight can overcome his injuries he should provide help. Still, this youthful team is going to be going through a lot of growing pains this season, and- with the squabbles over the Lighthouse Project potentially leading to relocation, there will be a lot on the minds of the Islander players. One hopes for better days but they could be a long way off still.</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Western Conference</u></b></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Detroit Red Wings (President’s Trophy Winner).</b> Sure, the Red Wings weren’t always “on” last season, beset by injuries that nearly cost them a playoff berth and then taking too long to dispose of the Phoenix Coyotes in Round 1, but these are the Detroit Red Wings. The proud Detroit Red Wings. They’re not going to let that happen again. To prove it, General Manager Ken Holland refurbished the team with veteran help at the lower end of the roster, adding Ruslan Salei on the backend and Mike Modano- in a homecoming- at forward. This veteran presence should help the team get through the rough patches better than last season and ensure that complacency doesn’t set in inside a star-studded dressing room. Those stars need no introduction, but I’ll introduce them anyway, with Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Ralfalski, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen all coming back, each among the best in the game at their positions. Behind them on the depth chart are defencemen Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart, Salei and Jonathan Ericsson, who could all be No. 1 defencemen elsewhere, as well as forwards Jiri Hudler (back from Russia), Valtteri Filppula, Tomas Holmstrom, Daniel Cleary and Darren Helm, all of whom could be top-end forwards on other teams. Plus, the Red Wings finally have their goaltender in Jimmy Howard, who can only get better at age 24. That’s a heck of a cast to call your own, and they all buy into head coach Mike Babcock’s two-way, puck possession system that’s just so fun to watch. Mark my words: in 2011, the Red Wings are back.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Vancouver Canucks.</b> The buzz all summer- after they acquired defenceman Dan Hamhuis- was that the Canucks represent Canada’s best shot at capturing the Stanley Cup for the first time in 18 years. Well, let’s see how they can get there. The good for the Canucks is that they have one of the deepest forward corps in the league (if not the deepest), led by franchise forward duo of twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin, with Henrik capturing both the Art Ross and Hart Trophies last season. The Sedins are followed by the two-way play of Ryan Kesler, Alexandre Burrows’ hard-nosed play (who benefitted from playing with the Sedins in netting a career high 35 goals), veteran Mikael Samuelsson and speedster Mason Raymond, who all posted top-tier performances last season (all posted at least 25 goals and 53 points, totals that could have been higher if they had more ice time). If Vancouver doesn’t score, they can bank on Roberto Luongo, still among the league’s elite, to guard the goal, and Luongo should be better this season now that he doesn’t have to worry about being the team’s captain anymore. The question comes on defence. The Canucks’ issues, for two straight seasons, has been a lack of a premier puck-moving defenceman that can create offence, meaning Vancouver has to be opportunistic in order to grab its goals. The team is great at creating those turnovers and a lot of teams don’t have the skill to prevent them, but some teams- like the team that the Canucks have lost to for two straight seasons, the Chicago Blackhawks- are too good at keeping the puck. This means Vancouver’s only form of offence is taken away from them, necessitating the need for a puck-mover to help the forwards and allow them to play more aggressively. Thus, Vancouver was linked to Tomas Kaberle this summer but the trade never materialized, leading to the acquisition of Keith Ballard from the Florida Panthers as a “stopgap” measure. Alexander Edler has the potential to be that kind of defenceman, but he’s not there yet, leaving Christian Erhoff and Sami Salo- who are more “scorer” types- as the Canucks’ only other offensive defenceman options. The good news is that Edler, Erhoff and Kevin Bieksa do give Vancouver good defensive zone coverage, and the addition of Hamhuis, one of the best stay at home defenders, will mean this group doesn’t have to be the top defenders for the Canuck defence to be effective. The only question is- can they create offence against the best? That’s what separates them from the Cup.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">San Jose Sharks.</b> After getting bounced meekly in the Conference Final by the Chicago Blackhawks, we expected the Sharks to be blown up. That didn’t happen, though long-time goaltender Evgeni Nabokov wasn’t offered a contract after the season. Franchise forward trio Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley all return, as well as elite defenceman Dan Boyle (who became a punchline in the playoffs after his famous “own goal”. The support cast- mainly built for size, as much of the Sharks roster- is also impressive, with first-tier players Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi up front and Douglas Murray, Niclas Wallin and mobile Marc-Eduard Vlasic on the backend. The question is in goal, which prevents San Jose from ranking higher here. Signed are Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi and Antero Niitymaki who are expected to share the duties, but neither has played without question marks in their careers. Niemi has the biggest question to answer, and that’s if last season was a fluke. If he can answer that question, San Jose can be Cup contenders again. If not, it’ll be the Bay Area asking more questions about why this group wasn’t blown up.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Phoenix Coyotes.</b> They may have to rename themselves “Team Teflon” if they keep this up. Despite enduring loud relocation rumours and even louder proclamations that they don’t have the talent to compete in the NHL, Phoenix only proceeded to live up to its mythical name and finish a strong 4<sup>th</sup> in the Western Conference. They face the same issues this season, so therefore there’s no reason why the Coyotes can’t have a repeat performance. They accomplished the feat last season with offence from the point and a mobile forward corps that used its speed for defensive purposes and for opportunistic offence via turnovers and that system won’t change. Much of the same cast returns, including captain Shane Doan (who had a down year despite leading the team with 55 points), Radim Vrbata (the team leader in goals with 24), Lee Stempniak (who was on fire after coming to the Coyotes from Toronto), newcomer Ray Whitney (coming in as a sorely-needed playmaker) and Wojtek Wolski (the team’s only real gamebreaker) up front and Ed Jovanovski, Keith Yandle and Adrian Aucoin on the backend (who combined for a total of 30 goals, a total that can only grow with the arrival of Derek Morris at the trade deadline last season). It’s not really an elite group but they play so well as a team that it doesn’t really matter. Where the Coyotes will really shine is in goal, as Ilya Bryzgalov is one of the league’s best. His MVP-type season was instrumental in the Coyotes’ success, and he will need to post similar numbers to keep the Coyotes among the best in the West. Phoenix also has a plethora of youngsters capable of breaking out, like Martin Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, meaning they could challenge the Sharks for top spot in the Pacific. The safe bet, however, is 4<sup>th</sup> given what we know, but the Coyotes are a team on the rise.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Chicago Blackhawks.</b> “Defending champion Chicago Blackhawks”. Been a while since anyone said that...49 years to be exact. Chicagoans hope it won’t be another 49 years before that can be said again. They did accept the reality that the team likely had to be retooled, with many names not returning this year. Out were Dustin Byfuglien, Antti Niemi, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg and John Madden, with more inexpensive players coming in to replace them. The good news is that group does include veterans goaltender Marty Turco and forward Fernando Pisani, both of whom have had success previously in their careers, which bodes well for the Blackhawks’ chances of repeating. Also boding well is the fact its franchise player group of defencemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook and forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews (whose two-way play just may put him among the best in the NHL) are also all returning, as well as support staff of offensive defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson and checking centre Dave Bolland, both key to the Blackhawks’ success last season. Still, there will be some adjusting to make with all the new faces and while it doesn’t mean a complete collapse, it does mean the division likely won’t be theirs this season.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Colorado Avalanche.</b> For the first half of the season, the Avalanche were the surprise outfit in the league, as the youthful group, not expected to even compete in the NHL, held the Northwest Division lead for two months. They faded as the season wore on but still wound up securing a playoff berth; and nearly upset the San Jose Sharks after Dan Boyle’s infamous own goal. Much of the same cast returns, and they should be better prepared to go through the grind of the season this time around than they were last year. Centre Paul Stastny returns as the Avs’ sole gamebreaker, but behind him up front are promising youngsters Chris Stewart and Matt Duchene, who could potentially have breakout seasons in 2010-11, as well as other promising youngsters in Ryan O’Reilly, T.J. Galiardi and Kevin Porter, none of whom have hit the age of 25. On defence, the Avalanche are thin, with the only real proven talents being captain Adam Foote, Scott Hannan and John-Michael Liles, though head coach Joe Sacco’s defensive system means the forwards can make up for that. In goal, the Avs have Craig Anderson and Peter Budaj, who, in other years would be a good tandem but, after Anderson’s breakthrough 2010 season means that Colorado has its clear cut starter and a good backup. Anderson will have to prove last season was no fluke, but even if he doesn’t the Avs won’t be lacking in net. In short, there probably isn’t enough talent to compete for the summit of the division again, but this young group should show some improvement and comfortably qualify for the playoffs in 2011.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Los Angeles Kings.</b> The Kings spent much of the summer chasing Ilya Kovalchuk to no avail, which may have stunted their forward progress. The team’s pursuit meant they had to let go a number of roster players, including key figures Alexander Frolov, Sean O’Donnell and Jeff Halpern. It doesn’t mean the roster is completely gutted, but it does mean the Kings won’t make the strides they should. They still have one of the best power forwards in the game in Anze Kopitar, whose support cast- a good cast of power forwards- up front includes newcomer Alexei Ponikarovsky (which should replace some of Frolov’s lost offence), veteran Ryan Smyth and captain Dustin Brown. On defence, the Kings’ top defenceman is Drew Doughty, whose 59 points last year was among the league’s leaders and points Doughty well on pace to becoming one of the league’s best (he has some defensive shortcomings to work on though). He is joined on the back end by the mobile Jack Johnson and newcomer Willie Mitchell, the veteran stay-at-home defender who switched sides from the Vancouver Canucks to shore up defensive zone coverage that killed the Kings against those very Canucks. Finally, in goal there is Jonathan Quick, who established himself as the Kings’ first legitimate starting goaltender in years last season. It should equate to the status quo for the Kings for a second straight year- the talent isn’t deep enough to compete for the top spots, but it is still good enough to qualify for the playoffs once again.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Calgary Flames.</b> The quote of the 2009 offseason belonged to Jay Bouwmeester, the prize acquisition a year ago who stated “I’m glad to come to a team that isn’t just talking about making the playoffs”. Instead, the 2009-10 campaign made that statement into a cruel irony, with the Flames in a playoff battle all season long and ultimately losing out to the Colorado Avalanche, who nearly collapsed out of the playoffs themselves. There’s too much talent on this team for them to make it two seasons out of the playoffs, but the days of contending for the Western title- at least for this group- appear to be over. Captain Jarome Iginla is still an elite player but is entering the twilight of his career, and aside from goaltender Miikka Kiprussoff (also entering the twilight of his career), there’s not much else in terms of elite talent. Bouwmeester should be in this group but he underperformed last year, as did Calgary’s other defensive stud Robyn Regehr. Still, players like forwards Matt Stajan, Rene Bourque and Daymond Langkow and defenceman Ian White provide the nucleus for a serviceable, workmanlike team and- combined with bounceback seasons from Regehr and Bouwmeester, should propel Calgary back to the playoffs.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Nashville Predators.</b> Yes, I’m aware the Predators always seem to make the playoffs despite not possessing much natural talent as well as seemingly haemorrhaging that talent each offseason; and yes, the story is the same this season for Nashville. This past offseason, the Predators shed more high-priced talent in the form of defenceman Dan Hamhuis and forward Jason Arnott, requiring youngsters like Cody Franson and Colin Wilson (respectively) to breakthrough and fill the void. Previous history suggests they will but it’s not something to bank on. The proven talent up front- largely a workmanlike group- is thin, with Nashville boasting just Steve Sullivan, 30-goal man Patric Hornqvist, Jean-Pierre Dumont and the serviceable Joel Ward, Matt Lombardi and David Legwand. The backend at least provides Nashville something to work with, because the “Twin Towers” of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are among the best in the league; plus the goaltender they rely on is also among the best in Pekka Rinne. It’s almost the same story as last season and Nashville made the playoffs then, so why do they miss them this time around? It’s simple- Hamhuis gave the Predators a triple threat on the backend, and without him Nashville loses a major part of its gameplan, which is stellar defence and defensive zone coverage. I put them here in 9<sup>th</sup> to suggest that the playoffs could be in order if things fall into place (because head coach Barry Trotz is a wizard with little talent), but it still could be a tall order.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">St. Louis Blues.</b> What happened? This was a team that was supposed to be on the rise with all the young talent they had in 2008-09, and while contending might still be a ways off, a return to the playoffs was likely. Instead, the Blues stumbled through the start of the season and saw several players underperform (like Brad Boyes and his lowly 42 points in 82 games) en route to a 9<sup>th</sup> place finish, albeit with a strong 90 points. So can the team bounce back this season? Well, there is no Chris Mason in net, being replaced by Montreal playoff hero Jaroslav Halak in what represents an upgrade in that position. The defence also looks pretty good, with super youngster Erik Johnson the clear anchor followed by solid veterans Barret Jackman, Carlo Colaiacovo and captain Eric Brewer. However, it’s the forward position where the Blues are lacking and what will ultimately cost them a playoff berth. Boyes should figure to have a bounce back year, but after him the only real top six talents are big David Backes, playmaker Andy McDonald and Alexander Steen, none of whom who are real first-line material yet. The loss of Paul Kariya- first to free agency then concussions- will hurt in this area, because he gave the team a real veteran presence on a team that often lacked direction. Therefore, the pieces suggest that a bounce back is possible, but a lot things will have to work out (such as rookies breaking out) for the Blues to make it happen, and it’s not likely.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Minnesota Wild.</b> Last season was supposed to be the dawn of a new era, with the trap-filled days of Jacques Lemaire gone for the open, free-wheeling days of Todd Richards. The free-wheeling didn’t really happen, but the Wild were more fun to watch in 2010 than they had been before- but they also missed the playoffs, so this transformation is a work in progress. The Wild made big strides in this direction in bringing in free agent help, signing Matt Cullen, John Madden, Eric Nystrom and Jose Theodore in an attempt to bring in the types of bodies Richards now wants. None will have to be impact players, but the cupboard is bare in this regard anyway. Only three players- Mikko Koivu (71), Andrew Brunette (61) and Martin Havlat (54) broke the 50-point barrier, and only one defenceman- Marek Zidlicky (43) broke the 30-point barrier, though Brent Burns (20 points in 47 games) would have broken the barrier had it not been for injuries. At least in goal the Wild can lean on Niklas Backstrom, who had another solid (if unspectacular) season in the Minnesota net. Still, unless there is an unexpected infusion of talent, the signs point to another “work in progress” year for the Wild, who still may be a year or two away from going back to the playoffs.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Columbus Blue Jackets.</b> This wasn’t supposed to happen. Columbus was supposed to make the playoffs in 2010 to prove that their great 2009 season was no fluke and ride that momentum into this season, where all the youth the Blue Jackets collect would finally pan out into something resembling a contender...or something like that. Instead, the Blue Jackets bottomed out to a pathetic 79 points and were never really in the playoff chase for 2010, reverting back to the days when the Blue Jackets collected promising youth and did nothing with it. A major part of that collapse was the regression of goaltender Steve Mason, whose numbers (3.06 G.AA and .901 save percentage) went south after his Calder Trophy victory a year ago. Mason will hopefully rebound, but there’s only so much he can do. He can rely on some kind of offence, as Rick Nash, Antoine Vermette, Kristian Huselius and R.J. Umberger all return, with promising Jakub Voracek primed for a breakout; though outside of Nash it’s not an elite group and still isn’t very deep. Mason just doesn’t have much of a defence, with Anton Stralman, Fedor Tyutin, Kris Russell and a whole bunch of question marks. Therefore, unless some of those youngsters start panning out (which in Columbus is as rare as the blue moon), expect another long season in the Ohio capital.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Dallas Stars.</b> There was a time, not so long ago, when Mike Modano was captain, that the Stars were perennial Stanley Cup contenders. Those days- like Modano- are long gone, and the Stars are continuing to rebuild in an effort to recapture their old glory. As a result, there’s not a lot of talent to work with. The forward corps look decent, with elite talents Brendan Morrow, Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson getting support from Mike Ribeiro and youngster James Neal; but the blueline still needs a lot of work, since it’s essentially Stephane Robidas, some lower tier defenders (Matt Niskanen, Trevor Daley) and question marks; let alone who will tend the net. The Stars may have signed Andrew Raycroft to replace the departed Marty Turco, but Raycroft was hardly starter material in his other starting gig in Toronto. The long season in Dallas just got a lot longer.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Anaheim Ducks.</b> It’s hard to believe that just three years ago the Ducks were hoisting the Stanley Cup, but it was just three years ago though last season made it feel a lot longer. Key to the decline has been the loss of Anaheim’s prowess on the blueline, as a team that once featured an enviable cast of Scott Niedermayer, Francois Beauchemin and Chris Pronger on the backend now features Toni Lydman as its best defenceman. He’s not a bad defenceman, but Lydman is well out of his element as a No. 1 defenceman, being more of a No. 3-4 kind of guy. The rest of the Ducks’ defence features veterans who are better served as depth defencemen than top-end guys, meaning someone is going to have to step up if this group is to be effective. At least the offence features some top-end talent in Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, two members of the Canadian Olympic team from earlier this year (though there’s not much else afterward) and there is at least all-world goaltender Jonas Hiller in net. It’s not much, and will keep them out of last place, but competing for the playoffs is nothing but a dream.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Edmonton Oilers.</b> “There’s nowhere to go but up” is the refrain Oiler fans are telling themselves after facing the ignominy of finishing last in the entire league last season, the first time Edmonton, the once proud franchise, had done so. It was a mess last season (highlighted by Sheldon Souray’s trade request, despite the fact his contract is untradeable), but at least the Oilers got the chance to draft Taylor Hall. Hall, the two-time Memorial Cup champion, may turn out to be Edmonton’s best player since Mark Messier, which is not an overstatement considering Hall’s proven track record as a winner and how hard he plays each night, proving he too can be the ultimate leader. He’s still a ways to go from that point, but the potential is there. So too is it present in Edmonton’s other fine youngsters Jordan Eberle (who scored the dramatic tying goal in the 2009 World Juniors against Russia) and Magnus Paarjavi (formerly Svensson), giving the Oilers the nucleus for a team that could dominate for years to come. Unfortunately, potential doesn’t translate into wins in the now, because, right now, there’s not a lot of proven talent on this team. Much of the mess that was the 2009-10 campaign returns without much hope for improvement. Ales Hemsky leads a forward corps that doesn’t even come close to matching his immense talent level (outside of possibly Dustin Penner and Shawn Horcoff), while on defence the Oilers can boast Tom Gilbert and little else. The situation doesn’t get any rosier in goal, as Nikolai Khabibulin has to prove he can be an elite goaltender again (and make smarter decisions behind the wheel), necessitating the need for the Oilers to sign Martin Gerber, who is himself far removed from his last good season. Therefore, there will be a lot of losses, a lot of headaches and not much to cheer about again in the self-proclaimed City of Champions…but hey, at least it gives the Oilers time to survey the top draft picks one more time.</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Playoffs</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Eastern Conference</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Conference Quarterfinals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Tampa Bay Lightning.</b> A rematch of the Lightning’s first ever playoff series in 1996, where a young Tampa Bay team lost a hard-fought series to a seasoned Flyers team ready to make inroads in NHL circles. This series will play much the same way- a green Tampa Bay team will put up a good fight but ultimately lose to a seasoned Philadelphia team, but they’ll still make a name for themselves in the process. <b style="">Flyers 4, Lightning 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(2)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Ottawa Senators vs. (7) New York Rangers.</b> The Senators’ present for returning to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference is King Henrik and the Rangers, as well as a potential meeting with former anchor Wade Redden. It will be largely a clash of styles, with two counter-attacking teams built primarily on speed and solid defence trying to outsmart their opponent and catch them being the first to blink. This one is likely going to go down to the wire- maybe even Game 7 overtime- before it’s decided, meaning either team could win, but if I had to pick, it’d be Ottawa, since in a series like this where the wrong move could be costly, the Senators boast the best defenceman and that is Sergei Gonchar, who will be the difference maker for Ottawa. <b style="">Senators 4, Rangers 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(3)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Washington Capitals vs. (6) Buffalo Sabres.</b> On paper, it looks like a matchup the Capitals can handle- the Sabres are also built on speed and can also be offensive. However, despite the fact Buffalo doesn’t have an Ovechkin or a Backstrom, the Sabres do have a Miller and a defence, things the Capitals don’t have, which will allow them to get out of this series, though they may need to go to the brink to pull off the upset. <b style="">Sabres 4, Capitals 3</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(4)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Montreal Canadiens vs. (5) New Jersey Devils. </b>The “homecoming” series for Martin Brodeur, this series will show just how far down the Devils’ defence has gone. Just like last season against the Flyers, without a capable puck-mover to bring the puck to the Devils’ skilled set of forwards, the defending becomes easy and with a team as smart and as deep as Montreal, that’s an opportunity they will pounce on. Therefore, it’ll be another quick exit- and likely the first for 2011- for the Devils. <b style="">Canadiens 4, Devils 1</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Semifinals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) Buffalo Sabres.</b> Key to the Sabres’ demise last season was their lack of size against the Boston Bruins. Now they face a Philly team that not only has size, but speed and skill as well. Given that, you’d have to figure that the Flyers will finish the job quicker than the Bruins and they will. It’ll be another quick and meek exit for the Sabres. <b style="">Flyers 4, Sabres 0</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(2)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Ottawa Senators vs. (4) Montreal Canadiens.</b> The Canadiens and Senators don’t have much of a rivalry in the Northeast Division, but after this series, there will be one. The “Autoroute 40” series (named for the highway that separates these two cities) will be a similar series to the Senators-Rangers series of the round before, being a tactical battle where the loser will be the one that blinks first. It probably won’t be as close as the other series, but it still will be competitive, with Ottawa getting the edge simply because they have the better goaltender, as Carey Price- as he has been known in years past- will eventually make mistakes under pressure and in a series like this, they will be magnified. <b style="">Senators 4, Canadiens 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Philadelphia Flyers vs. (2) Ottawa Senators.</b> After two straight defensive battles, the Senators might be a little confused when they’ll be forced to open up against the talent-rich Flyers. Even if they do make an adjustment, though, the overall talent of the Flyers- who are much deeper than Ottawa is- will prove too much, propelling Philadelphia back to the Cup Final for a second straight year. <b style="">Flyers 4, Senators 1</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Western Conference</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Quarterfinals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Calgary Flames.</b> A rematch of the 2007 first round series, many of the same cast of characters return, as should the same result. The Flames might be able to put more of a fight this time because they’re a little quicker, but without an offensive dynamo on the backend to control the pace, Calgary will fall to the Whirling Dervishes that is the Detroit Red Wings’ dynamic offence. <b style="">Red Wings 4, Flames 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(2)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Vancouver Canucks vs. (7) Los Angeles Kings.</b> Round 1 Take 2, right? Will anything have changed? Other than Willie Mitchell switching sides, not much will be different- the Kings will make too many mistakes, the Canucks will pounce on them and they’ll ultimately win the series. Pretty straightforward- but hey, the Canucks will at least enjoy having some sun for a change. <b style="">Canucks 4, Kings 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(3)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">San Jose Sharks vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche.</b> Another rematch of last season, only this time some things *have* changed. No longer do the Sharks have a goaltender to rely on and no longer does San Jose have Rob Blake to patrol the blueline and keep things calm. With Craig Anderson holding the fort and the Avalanche swarming like bees around a bemused San Jose net, the Avalanche will complete the upset they should have had a year ago. <b style="">Avalanche 4, Sharks 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(4)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Chicago Blackhawks.</b> Last season an opportunistic Coyotes team managed to bang three victories out of the talent-rich Red Wings because the Red Wings weren’t always playing at the right intensity every night. This time around, they won’t be able to catch a similarly talent-rich Blackhawks team napping, because Chicago will come to play every night. Again lacking the raw skill to properly match up with Chicago’s speed, Phoenix’s second foray into the playoffs will be meeker than the first- and it could be the last they’ll ever play in the Grand Canyon State. <b style="">Blackhawks 4, Coyotes 0</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Semifinals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche.</b> First was a 2007 rematch, now it’s a 2008 rematch. This isn’t exactly the same Avs team the Wings played then, as players like Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly replace 2008 stalwarts like Joe Sakic and Marek Svatos, but it will still be the same result- the youthful Avs will be no match for the precision and skill of the Red Wings, but at least this time the Avalanche will look like a team ready to grow. <b style="">Red Wings 4, Avalanche 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(2)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Vancouver Canucks vs. (5) Chicago Blackhawks.</b> OMG!!! WTF!!! Not again! Yes Canuck fans…it’s happening again and it will happen again. Vancouver can crow all it wants about how it upgraded its defence with the addition of Dan Hamhuis, but without a puck-moving defenceman (like Chicago’s Duncan Keith) the same story will unfold again- Chicago won’t make the mistakes Vancouver so desperately need for offence and will cut apart a bemused Canucks defence with penetrating passes Vancouver could only hope to hit. Maybe this time Vancouver will go after Tomas Kaberle. <b style="">Blackhawks 4, Canucks 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="">(1)<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="">Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Chicago Blackhawks.</b> From a 2007 rematch to a 2008 rematch and now on to a 2009 rematch. It’s not necessarily the same story this time since the Blackhawks’ depth players will be different as will be their goaltender (and the Wings’ goaltender for that matter) but it will be the same result. The loss of all that depth in the offseason by Chicago and the addition of depth in the offseason by Detroit will make all the difference in this series, since this is likely going to be a goals-fest- and Detroit, by virtue of having more talent, will get the goals that will propel them back to the Stanley Cup Final. <b style="">Red Wings 4, Blackhawks 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>Stanley Cup Finals</u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">(W1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (E1) Philadelphia Flyers.</b> It’s rare that two No. 1 seeds represent their conferences in the Finals (last time it happened was in 2001 when New Jersey and Colorado hooked up) but there’s hardly an argument that these two shouldn’t be here- they’re both the deepest teams in their conference and the best coached, with both teams playing extremely well as a unit. So what will separate them? Well, the Wings’ “Whirling Dervish” system is better oiled and better conditioned than the predictable lane-bound Philly offence, plus the Wings have the advantage in goal. Therefore, it will be their Cup to win, though the Flyers will still make it close. <b style="">Red Wings 4, Flyers 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-22472378249656356652010-08-04T01:02:00.000-07:002010-08-14T23:12:45.819-07:00The NHL Since The Lockout- Part 2: Where Do We Go From Here<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">“It’s easy to find a problem. It’s harder to solve it.”<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After seeing what the NHL since “The Lockout” has produced, it’s time now to see where the NHL should go in the coming years if it wants to improve its game. We’re all essentially of the opinion that the NHL has a better game this year than it did seven years ago, but even there, the league has a lot of work to do if it wants to maintain its forward momentum. Here’s my rundown for what the NHL needs to moving forward.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Fix the penalty standard.</b> It pains me to write this after having so much hope in 2005-06, but it’s becoming obvious that refereeing in the league is again becoming uneven. It’s hardly at the stage it was before “The Lockout” but unless we act now, we are in danger of it slipping to that point.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s not a difficult solution either- all that is needed is a clear directive to each referee on what constitutes each foul. For example, hooking should be called if it’s clear the defender has his stick in an attacker’s midsection with the blade wrapped around his torso, as if he’s using his stick as, well, a hook. Holding should only be called if it’s clear the player’s jersey (or stick) is actually being tugged; and if a stick corrals a player’s leg and hauls him down, that’s tripping. Very simple stuff.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">While we’re at it, we really need to clean up this “trip and a dive” nonsense. Either it’s tripping or it’s a dive- you can’t have both. I know there are some cases where a player embellishes a foul so it’s actually called, but, more often than not, these “trips and dives” combinations feature- clearly- one or the other, not both. Soccer doesn’t make these kind of combination calls- it either calls a foul or a dive- and a directive of that nature in hockey would curb a lot of confusion the combination calls tend to generate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, the league needs to agree on its standard once and for all, and not pledge to call only certain parts of the rule book over others. I know the obstruction crackdown was effective, but those kind of actions only work if they’re temporary and irregular. Lately, the league has fallen in love with crackdowns, which leaves players, coaches, fans and, yes, the referees, confused on what is supposed to be called. The rule book isn’t made so that only parts of it should be called- it’s made so that *all* of it should be called, and called regularly. It makes a mockery of the rulebook- and, ultimately, the sport itself- if certain parts are ignored or inconsistently applied (because what’s the point of having a rule if it won’t be enforced?). Therefore, we need a clear and consistent standard for each of the rules in the rulebook, and have them regularly enforced (to the best of our abilities). The players, coaches and the fans deserve no less.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Find a better solution for violence than the “head shot” ban.</b> This is a corollary to the above point (because solving violence *is* a rulebook issue), but it is important enough that it deserves its own segment. I’ll admit this much- the fact the NHL tried to address the issue of “head shots” is a step in the right direction, because at least it means they’re proactive about ending violence. That’s where the good news ends though.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Once again, the move is another case of the NHL creating a rule because it was incapable of enforcing the rules they already have. In 1991, the NHL thought too many goaltenders were being “run over” so they decided that they’d prohibit any player from getting anywhere near the goalcrease; ignoring the fact that “goaltender interference” was already a penalty. We saw how well the “man in the crease” rule worked.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, we have the “head shot” ban, or a ban on “a lateral, <b style="">back-pressure</b> or <b style="">blind-side hit</b> to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact <b style="">(emphasis mine)</b>.” Note that the wording doesn’t ban “hits to the head” specifically, meaning that a (no pun intended) head-on collision would still be allowed. This means that the only hits to the head that wouldn’t be allowed are hits players don’t expect, which is already covered in another rule- “checking from behind”. You may have heard of it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps this duplication won’t be a duplicity if it’s actually effective, but if history is any indication, it won’t be. Simply put, the NHL can have a minor, major and match penalties under this new rule (as will be the case) but it won’t mean anything if- like the rest of its rules- it’s haphazardly applied. Again, the call goes out to create firm standards and actually enforce them, including strictly-defined suspensions, because only then will the violence be curbed. The sole reason why players feel the need to “police themselves” is because the league does a poor job of doing it themselves- so now is time for them to take back control.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Are we going to get rid of violence entirely? Probably not, because cementheads are a fact of life and doubtless transgressors will find their way into hockey uniforms like they always have. What we do need, however, is a better atmosphere for the players to participate in. They need to be able to step on the ice knowing that they’ll be safe. Sure, hockey is a physical sport and injurious hits are still going to happen- physics, awkward balances and differing player sizes mean they’re unavoidable. However, players should not step on the ice feeling like they’ll be “targeted” or that they’ll receive cheap shots and that’s not the case now (otherwise, “policemen” wouldn’t have a job). We do that by ensuring that suspensions are meaningful and <i style="">regularly enforced</i> (meaning that a grievous hit from behind is always the same amount of games regardless of whether or not a star player levied that hit) and that the dangerous penalties- charging, cross-checking, roughing, boarding, etc.- are also called regularly on the ice (like the other non-dangerous penalties). It’s amazing that despite the faster speeds charging penalties are so rare (you would think the faster game would mean there’s more charging but we haven’t seen that yet), so this is an oversight that needs to be addressed. Above all else, the NHL needs to have a better and firmer policy for policing on-ice actions if it’s serious about protecting the players- otherwise, it will be left with no players left to play.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Develop a saner salary structure.</b> If the summer of 2005 wasn’t the first summer after “The Lockout” and the “Summer of Anticipation of Crosby and Ovechkin”, it may have gone down as the “Summer of Moves”. As a corollary to the new salary cap structure and the allowances of teams to buy out players without penalty for a short time immediately following the resumption of NHL business, many players found themselves with new teams, the most notable being Chris Pronger becoming an Edmonton Oiler, Paul Kariya becoming a Nashville Predator and Peter Forsberg becoming a Philadelphia Flyer. There was palpable excitement in the air that the salary cap would bring glory to any team that dared to dream, and the theory of the cap- shown in the histories of the National Football League and the National Basketball Association- was that player movement, even for marquee players, would be frequent. Instant success could really just be a season away.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Instead, the NHL has seen a plethora of super long term deals signed by “franchise” players. First there was Rick DiPietro signing a monstrous 15-year deal worth $67 million in September of 2006. Then Ovechkin signed a 13-year, $124 million pact in October of 2007. Neither deal expected to create a trend, as the DiPietro deal was soundly criticized and, with Ovechkin being exceptionally rated in NHL circles, the Capitals were seen as locking up a unique player to a unique contract. They’d only be harbingers for things to come.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The ball got rolling in 2009, as “creative” General Managers found a generous loophole in the salary cap. Since a player’s “cap hit” is based on the average yearly amount over the course of the contract (for example, if a player signs a $10 million contract over two seasons the cap hit is always $5 million for those two seasons, even if the player’s actual salary is $2 million in Year One and $8 million in Year Two), GMs realized that if they signed players to monstrously long contracts- with deals that are “front-loaded”- they can keep the cap hit down while giving the player the salary that he deserves. Marian Hossa was the first to receive such a deal, signing for an unfathomable 12 years and $62.8 million with the Chicago Blackhawks, with $59.3 million due in the first eight years. Then Chris Pronger- 34 at the time of the signing- received a seven-year contract extension from the Flyers with only a paltry $500,000 per season due to him in the final two years, where Pronger will be in his forties. The madness didn’t end there, as Henrik and Daniel Sedin received identical, front-loaded 11-year deals from the Vancouver Canucks (meaning the Sedins are locked up until they’re 40), Roberto Luongo received a similar 12-year pact from the Canucks, Marc Savard received a front-loaded seven year extension from the Boston Bruins (meaning Savard is signed until he’s 39) and, finally, the Blackhawks (to come full circle) extended Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith for more than ten years, all with front-loaded deals and all players the Blackhawks weren’t expected to retain but only managed to do so with this newfound “cap trick”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What is the theory behind this manoeuvre? Let’s look at Hossa’s deal as an example. Hossa’s deal with Chicago sees Hossa getting paid $7.9 million for the next six seasons (after being paid that in the previous year), but Hossa’s cap hit is $5.23 million, because- as you might recall in grade school arithmetic- lower numbers at the end of the contract add up with the higher ones at the start of it to lower the overall yearly average. In the seventh year after this one and the eighth year of the deal (2016-17), Hossa’s salary decreases to $4 million with further decreases to $1 million two years after that (2017-18 and 2018-19) and another decrease to $750,000 in 2019-20 and 2020-21, when the deal expires. The Blackhawks’ likely “official” reasoning behind the lower numbers at the end is that Hossa will be 42 when the contract expires, by which point the Blackhawks won’t want to pay Hossa the millions he’s owed now (it’s also likely by his 42<sup>nd</sup> birthday Hossa won’t even be a Blackhawk- he’ll be a Norfolk Admiral, by which point the $5.23 million cap hit can be spent on other players).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, the <i style="">real</i> reason why Hossa is paid so little at 42 is because no one believes he’ll actually be playing at that point; and, because the cap hit is wiped out upon retirement, Chicago isn’t likely to be on the hook for $5.23 million by the time the 2017-21 part of the contract rolls around (an important consideration, as if Hossa is still around at 42, that cap hit becomes unbearable since he’ll likely not be worth it at that stage). The same reasoning is likely true behind the deals for Pronger, Luongo, the Sedins, Toews, Keith, Kane and Savard, meaning, in effect, the teams have “cheated” the cap hit. If, for example, Hossa’s cap hit is based upon the years he’ll presumably play- that means all the years up to and including 2016-17, when Hossa will be 38- it would really be $7.14 million, almost $2 million more than what his cap hit actually is.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I personally didn’t think- logically- we’d see this trend. I can understand from a fan’s perspective they’d want their superstars sticking around for a long time, and they don’t want their teams’ ability to capture a Stanley Cup hindered by a monstrous cap hit, so these front-loaded, monstrously long deals are a good compromise, since it won’t compromise the team’s overall cap situation. I can also understand- perhaps- why an owner would want to sign a player this long, because I think if you had a franchise guy you wouldn’t want him leaving your team anytime soon either. However, from a player’s perspective, I can hardly imagine why they’d want to sign as long as they have. A role player might appreciate the commitment because their interchangeableness means they get shipped around a lot so they’ll accept any situation, even if it’s unfavourable, but a superstar earned the right to leave such a situation. Yes, Duncan Keith can talk all he wants about how great the Blackhawks’ organization has been to him and how great his team and his teammates has been, but he’s speaking <i style="">in the now</i>, not in the future. As the Dany Heatley situation illustrated, organizational situations can change in a hurry, and if I was Keith- who signed after L’Affaire Heatley and undoubtedly knows more about it than even those in the press do- I would want to have the flexibility to leave such a situation if I so chose. Sure, he can hold out and request a trade, but that only goes as far as the Blackhawks’ management’s willingness to go through with that, and it doesn’t always work out in the player’s favour- ask Alexei Yashin if he’d like to hold the Ottawa Senators ransom again. I suppose, ideally, as a superstar I’d only want one-year deals ‘cause they’d be the most flexible, but that’d be a slap in the face to the fans of the team I’d be on, so I’d make a commitment, but it should only be four, five maybe even six years- giving me a chance to settle but also the ability to leave the team if the team isn’t going anywhere. Sure, that kind of stability may be nice, but teams can change so fast, and there’s no guarantee that the 2014-15 Blackhawks will be as good as the current Blackhawks are, even with Kane, Toews and Keith. Three players does not a team make, and there’s no guarantee those guys will always love playing in Chicago, especially if the coaches or management change.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately, the NHL is taking action, nullifying the New Jersey Devils’ monstrous 17-year, $102 million, front-loaded deal with Ilya Kovalchuk, because the NHL didn’t think Kovalchuk will realistically play at the end of the deal, when he’ll be 44 (current Devils coach and former player John MacLean is 45). However, I’m not quite sure there is a solution to this conundrum quite yet. Kovalchuk’s case was a clear-cut violation (though it raises eyebrows about why the NHL didn’t void the other deals), but I’m not sure- logically- there’s any other reason to void a long-term contract. Keith is certainly within his rights to have a 13-year deal if he so chooses to have one (and, presumably, he will play out this contract because he’s signed until he’s 38) and I don’t think the NHL can, realistically, take away that right- the players are probably not going to accept it. Perhaps the only solution would be to have the salary cap calculated based on the player’s actual salary that season (as opposed to the average), with the “buyout cap hit” (which takes into account the average salary, with a higher actual salary giving the buying out team a credit) being the only part of a player’s contract that’s actually balanced against the cap. You can then prohibit teams from arbitrarily raising salaries to get favourable buyouts by forcing them to use the salary of the season that was just completed, meaning that if a player gets a raise, he’ll have to play at least one year with it. Failing that, the NHL would have to resort to trying to get maximum contract lengths in the next CBA, which may be a tall task.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Don’t increase the size of the nets- find other solutions to expand offence.</b> The topic of net size came up prominently during “The Lockout” as a way to increase scoring in the game but was not implemented because hockey officials wanted to see if the commitment to the rulebook would increase scoring on its own. After a few seasons, though, rumblings began to emerge again about net size, because although scoring went up, it didn’t go up as much as NHL types might have thought.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The argument for bigger nets goes something like this: the size of the NHL goal- four feet by six feet- has remained unaltered since the NHL started play in 1917. However, the size of the player has grown since that time, and thus, because today’s players are bigger, the nets should be as well. Plus- goes the argument- there aren’t any goals that go in off the wing, unless the goaltender “whiffed” on it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ostensibly, it’s a logical conclusion, but the reality is that it’s a lazy argument that shows a profound lack of understanding about the game of hockey. I need not bring up the “sanctity of the game” argument because that should be readily apparent- meddling with the size of the net is like meddling with the offside rule, it just shouldn’t be done. Furthermore, increasing the size of the nets means that we are forcing the goaltenders to have to relearn their entire craft while facing the potential of otherwise marginal or unremarkable shooters banging 60-goal seasons because the size of the net makes it impossible for them to miss. This also brings us to the “slippery slope” argument- what happens when goaltenders “learn” the nets and scoring again plummets? Are we just going to make the nets even bigger? Why not make it as big as the end boards, if that’s how much larger they’ll eventually get? The more one thinks about this idea, the sillier and more dangerous it gets.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The real reason why there aren’t any goals coming off the wing is because of the size of the goaltenders’ equipment as well as the proliferation of “butterfly” style goaltenders in the last 25 or so years. Go look at a picture of Patrick Roy in his early days and compare it to Roy in his later years and see the difference- Roy couldn’t possibly get *that* much bigger as he got older, could he? Today’s goaltenders have “shrunk” a little since Roy retired in 2003, but not by much, and I still think they can get much smaller. I have a hard time believing that reducing the size of the equipment endangers safety, because most of the “size” in the goaltenders come from their “ten sizes too big” sweaters and not from anything else. This is because the main problem is that the jersey size makes sightlines toward the net problematic, and thus if we reduce the size of the sweaters- so that they’re actually snug- then we’ll return some of those sightlines and- eventually- goals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That won’t solve all the problems unless we deal with the way the game as changed with regards to goaltending technique. Roy is credited with popularizing the butterfly technique, which takes advantage of the fact goaltenders can move out of their crease to challenge an onrushing shooter. Since they’re “programmed” to go down as soon as the puck hits them, they’re better able to deal with the five-hole than the traditional “stand-up” goaltenders could, and by being so far out of their crease, they’ve already taken away the top part of the net, leaving shooters with no sightlines. Therefore, it may be time to enact a rule whereby goaltenders are forbidden from leaving the crease unless they are playing a dump-in or have the puck on their stick, because this would give onrushing shooters some net to look at since the goaltender can’t come out all the way and take away those views. Coupled with the restriction on jersey sizes, there wouldn’t be a goaltender able to take away the sight of the *entire* net like they can now, which gives shooters more options and should- hopefully- produce more goals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other part of the equation is that coaches and players need to be more inventive themselves. Far too often teams play defensive styles with an overemphasis on proper positioning and not getting “caught” too far up ice that several offensive opportunities are being lost. It’s not like the chances aren’t there- shortly after he retired in 2006, Brett Hull remarked that there are so many “open holes” that players weren’t seeing- it’s just that, it appears, there are too many coaches that aren’t inventive enough to seize them. It doesn’t have to come at the expense of defence either- the players have proven they’re capable enough defensively, so it shouldn’t be too hard to teach them “responsible offence”. The players, too, also need to be more creative- if, as mentioned in the previous paragraph- lots of goaltenders are moving out of their crease to “challenge” shooters, perhaps the shooters shouldn’t just blindly shoot at the goaltender but cut in towards the middle, challenge the covering defender (perhaps drawing a penalty) and deke out the now out of position goaltender (if another player is up in support of the rush, they too can move into the middle or behind the net to confuse coverage schemes). I know some players already do this, but not enough of them do- and, strangely enough, these guys who “go to the net” are praised. It’s advice more players need to heed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lastly, the other part of the offensive equation is simply patience. Let’s not forget we’ve only had five drafts since the NHL stepped up its rule enforcement (the 2005 Draft doesn’t count because even those players were drafted before NHL GMs knew how effective the crackdown would eventually be), so we’ll need some time for the “old guard” to effectively be replaced. We don’t know how well the crackdown will work until most of the NHL was drafted in this atmosphere, because by then most of the players will be operating under this style of play instead of the way it is now where most of the players were developed under “the old system”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Get on ESPN.</b> I probably can’t make this any clearer: the experiment on Versus has failed. Miserably. It was clear that the NHL signed the deal in 2005 because hockey had slid so far down the sports scene that it had to take any deal it could get- including the “revenue sharing” agreement it has with NBC. A lot has changed since then, including the fact that hockey is far more marketable now than it was five years ago, and thus there has to be a greater push to get hockey on TV sets that matter- with TV people that are capable, for a change; and we do that by going on ESPN.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I know ESPN has its critics. However, let’s consider the case of Versus first. Their hockey coverage has ranged from “barely passable” to “beyond abysmal” right from the start, with the rating averaging closer to the bottom than the top. Most of their announcers sound like they’ve been pulled right from WWE Raw (I’m looking at you Joe Benanadi...), with most of their analysts shouting out of their lungs to cover the fact they’re not saying anything of relevance (let alone anything of intelligence). This says nothing of the channel hockey is on. I know Versus has actually added some programming of significance (like some mid-major college football games), but, overall, it hasn’t changed much from a channel that focuses a lot on rodeos, fly fishing and cage fighting...and, oh, some hockey. Nothing against those sports at all, but nobody would think of Versus as a “major sports channel” with that line-up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The alternative- since there only is one- is ESPN, “the worldwide leader in sports”. Yes, it’s true that even when hockey was on ESPN it was treated as more of an afterthought (their package of announcers and analysts weren’t *that* much better than Versus, and I find few who have great things to say about Barry Melrose), but ESPN essentially “controls” the sporting viewership landscape in the United States. All of the sports ahead of hockey- baseball, basketball and football (heck, even golf and tennis) - are televised in some capacity by ESPN (basketball even has its finals on ESPN’s parent company, ABC) and, predictably, those are the sports that hog the limelight on SportsCenter. Even when hockey was on ESPN it received more coverage than it receives now, and coverage has actually increased since “The Lockout” (mainly whenever Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin play). Imagine the coverage they’d receive if their games were on their network.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Even the perceived “complication” of the Winter Classic (one of the few victories the NHL has had since “The Lockout”) isn’t much of one when you consider the TV landscape in 2011 (when the NHL’s current deal with Versus and NBC ends). By that time, all of the college bowl games- including the big ones- will be on ABC and ESPN, so a switch to ABC/ESPN for hockey will mean the Classic won’t clash with the bowl games- in fact, it may even compliment them: the Rose Bowl traditionally begins at 5PM; the Classic should be finished then. That should be a mouth water proposition for any sports programmer- as well as those of us lying on the couch recovering from our New Year’s hangovers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Solve “The Canadian Question”.</b> Ever since “The Lockout” increased the viability of franchises previously thought to be lost (don’t forget how badly the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals were doing in 2004, plus we’ve seen the rise of the previously inept Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators), we’ve been bombarded with pleas for the NHL to expand back into Canada, more specifically Hamilton, Quebec City and Winnipeg. The latter two once had NHL teams, while Hamilton has been a bridesmaid for a team ever since Copps Coliseum was built in 1985. The movement gained steam after the Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets departed in the mid-1990s, bringing a deluge of incessant gossip with “(insert southern team here) moving to (insert Canadian city here)” reports coming up almost every week, culminating with the recent saga of the Phoenix Coyotes, that has Canadian hockey fans all crying “Wolf” at each instance. More recently, the overaggressive exploits of Research In Motion CEO Jim Balsille meant the city of Hamilton flirted with having a team for a number of years; whereas TSN did a special called “Why Not Canada” that discussed the very issue of expansion into Canada, taking a closer look at the cases of these three cities (as well as Toronto, which only comes up when disgruntled Leaf fans start discussing how terrible they’ve had it for over 40 years).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, while I do take issue with the study with regards to Winnipeg (it concludes that a new Winnipeg team might have difficulties surviving long term because of a lack of corporate presence in the city, conveniently forgetting the rest of the province and just how <i style="">rabid</i> the fanbase is), the study confirms what most of us already know- Canada is <i style="">severely</i> underserved as a hockey market. When 31% of league revenues come from Canada when the league is only 16% Canadian, it underscores just how much north of the 49<sup>th</sup> parallel is underserved.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are two things that need to be considered with regards to this “Question”. First of all, I doubt we’d even be talking about this issue if the Nordiques and Jets stayed where they were instead of moved, because it wasn’t until then that we really saw the Canadian hockey media wrap itself in a Canadian patriotic jingoism that fed into the insecurities of Quebec and Winnipeg; and this “Question” is really a by-product of that. Furthermore, there is debate about how precisely this question should be addressed- should teams be moved or should the NHL just simply add more teams?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The former has been the subject of numerous debates since “The Lockout”. Just about every team south of the Mason-Dixie Line has been implicated in moves northward, from the “usual suspects” in the Carolina Hurricanes, Atlanta Thrashers, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Phoenix Coyotes to, more recently, teams like the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues that suddenly find themselves in ownership problems. It’s also not just teams in the South that are facing the prospects of moving vans- the very northern (but very football) city of Columbus faces the prospect of losing the Blue Jackets after reports came out last year that the team has lost $80 million since it was founded in 2000 due to a faulty lease.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Does it follow, then, that all or some of those teams should be moved north of the border? I know we’ve been facing viability questions with these teams for well over a decade, but the truth is there isn’t a single team that one could consider a “sure-fire” candidate to move. Each of these teams oscillate between success and failure, indicating that- despite “popular” belief- there *is* a market for hockey in the South, it’s just oversaturated. Just off the top of my head, my feeling is that the Atlanta-Nashville-Carolina corridor is best served by one team (my case is for Atlanta, the largest city of the three) and that Florida should only be served by one team (perhaps the Panthers, because they play in the largest city in Florida, Miami), with the rest of the teams staying put- Phoenix may have its viability problems, but it’d be a large market to lose, plus it serves the NHL’s visibility needs in the Southwest interior. However, that’s just my ad-hoc study- the NHL will need to take a serious look at this issue and determine which teams it needs to keep and which ones just have to go, because the NHL can’t support all of them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This leaves the topic of expansion, a topic the NHL appears skittish to discuss at the moment (and perhaps with good reason, given the quality of the game at the moment...). Obviously this is preferable considering this means no teams are lost, but with three markets that, in the immediate future, should be served- Winnipeg, Quebec and Hamilton- and only, realistically, two slots to assign (because a 33 team league is absurd)- one of these cities will likely be left in the dark. The snap judgement here is that Quebec and Winnipeg should be the two new teams considering all the hurdles Hamilton will have to pass (which includes overcoming the bad effects brought on by Balsille’s overtures), but that won’t be an easy sell to a city that has had to endure so many broken promises of a team for at least the past 25 years.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Regardless of the path, it’s patently clear that the NHL needs to move on this Question, and quickly. The league has talked a lot about wanting to “correct the problems of the past”, which is noble, but all those words are meaningless without actions. Yes, perhaps the characterization of Gary Bettman as “anti-Canadian” may strike at the issue a little too deeply, but the criticism has been deserved and it will only get worse the longer the league holds out on restoring teams to Canada. Otherwise, Canadians may turn to another league (the KHL, anyone?) or create one of their own, leaving the NHL behind, which will be the mistake that will be the league’s death knell- a result the NHL should work to avoid.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">The international game needs to grow.</b> Last- but not least- is the international game. Suffice to say, one of Bettman’s few real accomplishments since he became Commissioner is the growth of the international game from a curious afterthought to an intently followed competition. Much of the growth here stems from the presence of NHL players at the Olympics, of which we have seen four editions- 1998 in Nagano, 2002 in Salt Lake City, 2006 in Turin and just this past year in Vancouver. Each time the foray has been a success, with viewership hitting records each time. Just this past Olympics, the Gold Medal Game was watched by the most Americans and Canadians in <i style="">hockey history</i>, an indication of just how valuable the Games have proven to be. Unfortunately, this growth is threatened by the NHL’s non-committal to Sochi in 2014, meaning all these moves forward could all prove worthless.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Committing to 2014 goes without saying, and should be the first move going forward in continuing the international game’s growth. What would aid it is increasing the visibility of the international game, <a href="http://thehockeyfile.blogspot.com/2010/05/lets-end-world-championship-farce-and.html">a topic I wrote about in May</a>. In that article, I proposed the creation of “regional championships” to compliment the Olympic tournament, as well as requiring teams to go through a several months long qualification tournament in order to participate in those major tournaments. The format would be similar to the format of soccer’s World Cup, where qualification begins two years before the Cup and involves national teams playing once every month or so to build up results that earn them qualification.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The benefits of such a tournament should be apparent. Instead of only getting a few weeks’ worth of Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash, Mike Richards, Brendan Morrow, Shea Weber, Jonathan Toews, Chris Pronger and Roberto Luongo on the same team, you’d get to see them several more times during the year, in games that actually matter for something, a tantalizing prospect for any hockey fan. Not only that, but it’d allow the smaller nations the chance to show off their talents more often, exposing the hockey world to players that were previously unknown (several members of the 2004 European champion Greek soccer team wound up getting lucrative careers after their surprise run). Plus, it’d allow us to see fierce international rivalries more often- we’d be guaranteed to see Canada-U.S., Sweden-Finland and Czech Republic-Slovakia at least once a year, if not more, and I don’t know a hockey fan that wouldn’t want to see that.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The issue then becomes integration. NHL owners are too quick to whine about how the Olympics compact the schedule and needlessly tire out the players (though it bears noting that several Olympians were playing significant roles in the Cup Final this year), so the thought of having to shut down the schedule for three days every month or so to allow these qualification games to take place will likely be a hassle. There is also the issue of “national depth”- a European championship would be very easy to create, considering how many hockey playing nations are on that continent, but after that, membership is scant elsewhere (43 of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 68 members are European, 44 if you count Russia). Not only that, but if we stayed the course geographically, a “North American Championship” would feature Canada and the U.S. taking turns at how many pucks they can fire into the Mexican net before battling for the championship themselves. Extending the championship to the rest of the Americas includes just Argentina and Brazil- enough said.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thus, if we’re going to do this correctly we’ll first need the full commitment of the owners and the players on this issue so they can calibrate the schedule the right way; and we’ll have to find a way to create a suitable “regional championship” for Canada and the U.S. to participate in (because I don’t believe we can just have the Olympics, and the regional tournaments would replace the obsolete yearly IIHF championship). I believe this is best done by bringing in Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine, the Baltic countries and the rest of the IIHF members in the world to create a “Continents” tournament (or however you want to call it) which would bring the number of “decent” national teams in this group to ten (in addition to Canada, the U.S. and Russia, there are former Olympic stalwarts Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia, Japan and Kazakhstan, plus Lithuania and South Korea produce NHL players); which would run until hockey grows to the point where other continents can feasibly have their own tournaments.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That is a debate for another day- what’s more important is that now that we have national teams creating a buzz, we need to have them play far more often, and far more regularly. Fans shouldn’t have to wait four years to see their national heroes perform on a grand stage- that’s too long of a wait. The IIHF and the NHL can take notes at how massive soccer’s World Cup and Euro tournaments have gone and would do well to heed that model. It also wouldn’t require massive amounts of change- just a few days’ break in the schedule every few months for the qualification games and a week or so earlier of a start in a regional championship or Olympic year (I know the thought of hockey games in September isn’t appealing, but we’ve done it before, and the NHL always wants to do its own “national championships” at this time- why not start the season at this point?). Yeah, the pains may be hard to take, but once teams realize the boon more international games brings, all those hardships won’t be so hard anymore.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-17363155804737568012010-07-12T20:04:00.000-07:002010-07-12T20:23:27.571-07:00The NHL Since The Lockout- Part 1: What Have We Learned<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Normally, this would be the time that I’d write the season recap for the year that we just had. There is a lot to recap, of course, with a lot of good (a playoff for the ages featuring one of the most entertaining Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory, a magical run by the Montreal Canadiens (where “the old guard” showed “the new guard” (the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins) “who’s boss”), and an unbelievable run by the Philadelphia Flyers (0-3 comebacks are always special, unless you’re the team that blew that lead); the re-emergence of the Los Angeles Kings to relevancy, and some of the highest television numbers in years), a lot of bad (the Calgary Flames’ season, more whining about the officiating and the Phoenix Coyotes’ ownership mess), and a whole lot of ugly (the “head shot” conundrum). However, I won’t be doing that today.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">No, because with the conclusion of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, we have now played five seasons since “The Lockout” wiped out the 2004-05 season; and since five years is considered a benchmark for reviewing “ages”, I figured it’s time not just to recap the last season but the last five seasons as a whole- and see where the game is headed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When the owners locked out the players on September 15, 2004, they set out to achieve a lot of goals. One of those was the oft-repeated phrase of “cost certainty”, otherwise known as a salary cap. Before “The Lockout”, the National Hockey League claimed years of draining financial losses brought upon by the previous collective bargaining agreement (one the owners themselves extended <i style="">twice</i>), and thus wanted to create a system that enabled all teams to be economically competitive. While the league’s reasoning may have been faulty (many of the league’s upper tier were hardly “buying” championships like the New York Yankees were), the conclusion itself was sound- without a saner salary system, the league did run the risk of having a team like the Yankees emerge in the NHL.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, that wasn’t the only goal of “The Lockout”. The NHL also wanted to improve the level of play, because a full decade of “clutch-and-grab”, neutral zone trap hockey had created a game that was drab, lifeless and ultimately unwatchable. The league had attempted to crack down on obstruction fouls in the past but hardly ever put forth a diligent effort. While it wouldn’t be part of the actual CBA, cleaning up the game and increasing scoring in the NHL became one of the stated goals of “The Lockout”, with research and development sessions taking place in Toronto at numerous times during the negotiations to examine potential improvements to the game. Once the league did come back, it renewed the importance of cracking down on obstruction by creating a new “standard” for officiating; as well as introducing the shootout designed to resolve all games that ended as a tie after overtime.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately, the league would be welcoming two bright young stars to the fold in 2005-06 in Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, two players who’d form the centrepiece for league promotions following “The Lockout”. Ovechkin was slated to join the Washington Capitals in 2005, while Crosby would be the No. 1 pick in a 2005 draft where the order of teams would be based on a lottery where the worst teams of the previous four years had the best shot at No. 1. It raised the tantalizing prospect of Crosby being selected by the New York Rangers but, instead, the Rags wouldn’t get No. 1 which would fall to the Pittsburgh Penguins (who subsequently selected Bobby Ryan No. 1 overall...just kidding). So, at the very least, the NHL could look forward to some bright young stars to market for many years to come.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So now that we’ve established how the NHL wanted the future to work out, let’s see how it worked out- and where the NHL goes from here.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today: Part 1: What We've Learned<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>WHAT WE’VE LEARNED</u><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">No one likes the shootout.</b> I admit it- at first, I loved the idea. Hey, it’s dramatic, it’s exciting and you get to see players pull of cool moves you’d never see them pull off during an actual game. Then I continued to watch it and I began wondering, “What’s the point?” Kind of like too many NHL hockey games, too many shootouts means they all start “looking the same” and the novelty wore off.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s not it though- the shootout itself is useless. Twice we’ve seen shootouts determine playoff participants directly- the New York Islanders in 2007 and the Flyers this past season- and countless other games during the season that ultimately decided playoff position that were decided in shootouts (the Colorado Avalanche secured their playoff berth this past season when Matt Duchene scored in a shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks). Full credit to the teams that won the shootouts, but when you really think about it, this isn’t the way to decide a hockey game.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Think about it- let’s say your team played hard for 65 minutes but couldn’t break the deadlock with your opponent. Instead of losing the game because the other team thought up a faceoff play you couldn’t counter or received a bit of magic from a kind of player you didn’t have, you lose the game because the other team has some guy who couldn’t score to save his life during a real game scored in the shootout because he pulled off that spinarama-backhand shot he’d been perfecting all week in practice. That doesn’t sound like a great way to lose a hockey game, does it? That’s what you get with the shootout, because it’s nothing more than- you guessed it- a skills competition. Furthermore, the fact that we don’t see it in the playoffs underscores just how much of a gimmick the shootout really is, plus the fact that hockey’s equivalent in soccer- the penalty shootout- is also derided shows how faulty the shootout really is. Soccer doesn’t have a choice but to play the shootouts, but hockey does. It’s time for the NHL to make the right one and get rid of the “skills competition” once and for all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">This “loser point” doesn’t work.</b> Way back in 1999- when the NHL decided to call the “foot in the crease rule” until it happened to involve the Buffalo Sabres- the NHL had a simple way of determining a team’s point total during the regular season- two points for a win and one point for a tie (yes, Gary Bettman at one point allowed games to end without a winner). However, the league noticed at this time that there were too many ties, because they found that in overtime teams played defensively in order to preserve the point gained instead of being offensive and risking getting exposed defensively (thus gaining nothing from the contest). So the NHL- instead of going the route of FIFA and making each win worth three points instead of two and leaving the tie worth just a single point (this system has been *highly* effective)- cooks up their first of its harebrained point schemes and decides that should the game go to overtime, the teams will receive a point anyway, regardless of whether or not someone scores to break the deadlock (in which case the winning team gets the extra point).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The plan did increase the amount of overtime winners, but it did introduce the painful reality that someone could clinch a playoff spot by losing a game, which actually *did* happen. In 2000-01, the Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes were fighting for the final two playoff spots, with Phoenix on the outside looking in. In their penultimate game of the season, Vancouver and Los Angeles played each other, with the Coyotes also having their final game the next night. Phoenix stood one point behind the Kings and were even with the Canucks, but trailed both teams in wins. Under the old point system, regardless of the outcome, Phoenix still would have had a shot at making the playoffs in their final game. However, under this system, if Vancouver won the game in overtime, Phoenix would have be eliminated, because the single point Los Angeles would gain would mean all Phoenix could do is tie the Kings or the Canucks on points but lose out on the playoffs because they had fewer wins.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What happens? Well, Harold Druken scored for the Canucks in overtime against Los Angeles, clinching the playoff berth for both teams, meaning the Kings qualified for the playoffs despite losing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If that wasn’t bad enough, the NHL decided after the lockout that there wouldn’t be ties anymore- to resolve games after overtime, there’d be everyone’s favourite event, the shootout. Oh how grand. However, the move could have made sense if the NHL decided that they’d do away with points and just awarded wins and losses, but the NHL continued its lunacy by deciding that teams that lose in overtime or a shootout still get a point (are you scratching your head yet?). So instead of having a somewhat sensible approach in preserving ties, we now have a scenario where there are just wins and losses, but with some of those losses being worth a point and others not being worth a point, so some games could have three points being awarded. You can see where this goes- with every point valuable, teams hardly ever open up during regulation ‘cause they want to push the game to overtime so they at least get a point out of the game. Predictably, the amount of “three point games” skyrocketed, serving to create confusion among the fans, ‘cause, yes, even though your team is on a ten game losing streak, seven of those games went beyond regulation so you still get seven points. Sounds like a fair haul for futility, no?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Don’t expect any relief in the future though, since a number of insane ideas have been floated about. The most talked about is the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) format where teams that win in regulation are awarded three points whereas teams that win beyond regulation only receive two points, with the “loser point” still entrenched. If you thought the NHL’s system was confusing, wait until you have that system. Instead of having to figure out how many of your losses came beyond regulation, now you also have to figure out how many of your wins came beyond regulation as well, since that impacts your point total. All of a sudden, that ten game winning streak you went on sure isn’t that impressive if nine of those wins came via the shootout (“oh, if we didn’t hit the crossbar so many times...”). The way this is going, we may eventually need calculus to determine how many points you received during the season. Madness.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All this boils down to is this- why don’t we just have wins and losses, like the other major sports the NHL so desperately wants to be included in, and forget about points altogether. Or just have the FIFA system with three points for a win and one for a tie. Easy to understand, easy to calculate and easy to follow, without requiring someone having to major in Complex Arithmetic to figure out how their team really did. Because if the standings aren’t easy to follow, then the casual fans the NHL desires will get lost trying to figure out how well a team is doing and just give up on hockey, going to other sports whose standings are easy to follow. At that point, the NHL just might as well brandish itself as the “biggest of the minor leagues” because no reputable sports league would ever confuse its fans in that manner; and that’s not the future it should want.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">So what is the penalty standard anyway?</b> When hockey resumed, the NHL promised to introduce a firm “penalty standard” to eliminate the clutching and grabbing that infested the game. No more would referees be allowed “wiggle room” with which to interpret what a hook, a hold, or a trip is- every call, the NHL said, would be the same (for example, if the stick is in the gut of a player and it’s perpendicular to the ice, that’s hooking). Of course, the NHL had promised this before, but renewed sense of vigour about this crackdown meant things could actually be better this time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For about two years, the NHL was right. 2005-06 saw scoring levels skyrocket with the increase in power plays (a full goal per game more was scored in 2005-06 than in 2003-04, though the ’05-06 of 6.17 is a shade under the NHL overall average (since 1917) of 6.2), and saw games become genuinely less predictable, with a lot of lead changes in games. 2006-07 saw a sharp decrease in power plays halfway through the season but that was because players finally got the message, changed their ways and actually followed the standard. The trend continued into 2007-08, but by 2008-09, signs started to show that the standard is slipping.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, I don’t want to be alarmist and suggest that we’re back to the way we were before the lockout, because we’re not, and referees are still all calling the game tighter than they were in 2003-04. However, I’m seeing a lot more “missed calls” nowadays than I did in 2005-06, and this has something to do with the fact that some referees- but not all- decided they’re “loosening” the standard a little bit. This means the problem we had before the lockout- standards changing in every game- has come back, and no doubt it’s confusing the players. Perhaps we can all agree that some of the calls in 2005-06 were chintzy, but, at the same time, we should still see a set standard and we don’t see that. I’m not sure who to fault on this issue but one thing is clear- the referees themselves (and the league) need to come up with a directive to set a clear standard once and for all. I’m not expecting perfection- no one is- but the players- and the fans- deserve a lot more consistency than what they’re currently getting.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Predicting suspensions is like predicting the winning lottery numbers.</b> Speaking of inconsistency, how about suspensions? Predicting them can be just like predicting when pigs will actually fly- very rarely does the same violent act receive the same punishment, and, more often than not, the severity of those punishments fluctuate instead of providing (as they should) a discernible pattern. <a href="http://thehockeyfile.blogspot.com/2010/03/nhl-gms-dropping-ball-on-head-shots-and.html">Granted, this is a problem that has plagued Bettman ever since he came into the league</a>, but, unfortunately, the problem of violence in the NHL is showing no signs of improving- in fact, it appears to be getting worse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Central to the concern is that, since “The Lockout”, the NHL also pledged to have a standard for violent play and, for the first couple of months of the 2007, the NHL seemed to back up its word. Mega-suspensions were levied against Steve Downie and Chris Simon in a space of about six months, with the NHL even going as far as announcing the outline for how future suspensions would be levied. It sounded great but scepticism remained, considering that we hadn’t seen a superstar player get involved in a similar incident. We wouldn’t have to wait very long for that answer, since in 2007-08, Simon and Chris Pronger would be involved in incidents where they stomped on another player’s leg with their skate. Simon received 30 games for his attack in late December 2007 and Pronger would receive eight for his mid-March 2008 attack (with those eight games being inconsequential since his Anaheim Ducks were already assured a playoff spot by that time), despite the fact Pronger was also a “repeat offender”. It also took the NHL several incidents before it decided Alexander Ovechkin was worthy of a suspension, and, even there, he’s only received a pair of two-game bans. However, it’s not just superstars who received preferential treatment- Randy Jones drilled Patrice Bergeron from behind (in a similar play to Downie’s hit) in late 2007 and received just two games for his actions, and Marian Hossa- who may be a star himself but is very much a “lesser light” to Ovechkin- received no supplementary discipline at all after his hit from behind on Nashville Predator Dan Hamhuis during this past playoffs, a play similar to the Ovechkin hit on Brian Campbell that cost the Washington Capitals star two games in mid-March of this year. If you can make sense of those actions then, please, let me in on them because I’m still scratching my head at just how random the NHL appears.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That is the heart of the problem- the random suspensions. People like to moan about “the instigator penalty” as the source of all this violence, but they’d be wont to know that the instigator penalty came into existence in 1992 (a year before Bettman came into power) and that it is hardly ever called in the first place (it’s just issued in ten percent of fights). The truth is that players are taking matters into their own hands because they know the NHL won’t do it, because having random suspensions is like not having them at all. Creating a *clear* standard is tantamount to eradicating the problem, because- like they did with hooking and holding- eventually players will know what is acceptable and what isn’t acceptable and adjust accordingly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are the players we thought they’d be...sort of.</b> Before either of them had hit the ice, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin created a buzz around the league not seen since the days of Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. Both Crosby and Ovechkin were set to debut their services in 2005, starting careers that many believed would rival the greatest players in the history of the game.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Since that time, it’s likely safe to assume that neither will rank at the absolute top of the historical heap (Ovechkin has 529 points in five seasons, Crosby 506 whereas Gretzky accumulated 914 in his first five seasons) though it is safe to assume these two did become elite forwards. It’s still too early to tell where- or even if- they’ll rank among the all time greats, but the starts are great.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of course, the greater question is whether or not these two have undoubtedly *become* the best players in the game, and the answer to that depends on how you interpret it. In terms of sheer offence, Crosby and Ovechkin have indeed set the bar, being the only two players to have recorded 100+ points in a season more than twice (though Joe Thornton holds the record for most points in a season since “The Lockout” with 125 in the first season back), and Ovechkin is the only player with multiple Art Ross Trophies in the last five years.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Still, we’re looking at two completely different players- Crosby is a playmaker, Ovechkin a pure scorer- and, despite the numbers, it’s hard to really put these two in a class of their own. Players like Ilya Kovalchuk, Evgeni Malkin, Martin St. Louis, Thornton, Rick Nash and even Steven Stamkos look to be just as dangerous as Crosby and Ovechkin are. People also like to bring up Crosby’s Cup win and the “Golden Goal” but they conveniently forget that Crosby didn’t win the Conn Smythe (Malkin did) and that Crosby was relatively invisible at the Olympics until that overtime goal. Also, there are so many other facets of their game that both Crosby and Ovechkin need to work on before we really can call them “the greatest players of their generation”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s here where I bring up more complete players, players who I’d consider “the best players in the game”. It’s hard for me to narrow it down to one player, but if I had a list, I’d bring up players like forwards Pavel Datsyuk (consistently among the league leaders in takeaways), Jonathan Toews (among the team leaders in penalty killing and power play time on one of the league’s best specialty teams) and Mike Richards (one of the league’s best pure scorers who hits as hard as he shoots and also a key contributor to the Philadelphia Flyers’ power play and penalty killing units); and Nicklas Lidstrom, undoubtedly his generation’s best defencemen and arguably one of the best defencemen of all time- you just can’t get a more *complete* defenceman than Lidstrom. If I had to press, I’d probably pick Lidstrom because of what he’s accomplished and what he’s able to do, but you could make a strong case for any of the other three players being “the best” as well.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Does this mean that Crosby and Ovechkin won’t reach those heights? It’s too early in their careers to really know- after all, Crosby is just 23 and Ovechkin is just 25- so they both have time to develop into complete players, but, based on the current body of work, perhaps the media has been too quick to anoint these two “the best” without actually examining the situation objectively. I do have concerns about their longevity- both Crosby and Ovechkin place a lot of weight on their knees and Crosby has already suffered quite a few leg injuries (including a sprained knee in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals) and that catches up to you, while Ovechkin’s reckless style of play and the blinding speed at which he plays puts added stress on the knees (just ask Pavel Bure). You also have to wonder if- as Don Cherry likes to say- someone will clock Ovechkin because of all the hits he delivers (I hope not, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it did happen). I personally hope they can have long careers, but injuries are a concern. Ultimately, though, their futures will dictate their place in history and while it’s safe to say they won’t be the all-time greatest players ever, they still have time to work on their game, “complete it” and seal their places among the elite of the NHL.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Can anyone figure out the NHL’s “voodoo economics”?</b> One of the tenets of the new CBA was that the salary cap would be tied to the revenues the NHL brings in. This would mean- presumably- that the salary cap would fluctuate depending on the year, meaning that it would go up in some years and down in some years. For 2005-06, the NHL set the salary cap at $39 million (all figures U.S. unless otherwise noted), with a salary floor of $21.45 million, modest figures at the time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In just five years, though, the cap skyrocketed $20 million, to where it sits now at $59 million, with a salary floor ($43 million) that’s higher than the cap was in 2005-06. Part of the reason for the massive upswing in the cap is the Canadian dollar reaching parity with the U.S. dollar, which it hit in 2008 after being valued at 80¢. Still, despite signs that we still haven’t fully recovered from the economic recession, the salary cap continued to grow, moving up $2.6 million this past offseason to the current level.</p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This would be good news if there weren’t signs of too many shaky franchises. Already we have in the vernacular of the game the concept of “budget teams” and “cap teams”, thus creating another version of the “have” and “have not” camps that the salary cap was supposed to replace. The only reason why you don’t hear about it is because none of the “have not” teams are Canadian (let’s not forget who were the biggest champions- and now the biggest hypocrites- of the salary cap system). It does bring in a salient point in that several of the “have not” teams are in the “non-traditional” markets, places like Nashville, Tampa Bay, Phoenix and Carolina and further hits at the need for the NHL to really examine its Southern strategy. I differ on most people in that I believe there *is* a market for hockey in the Deep South, it just doesn’t have enough for all the teams that are in the league; and that some of those teams ought to be moved, perhaps to Canada which generates about 35% of the league’s revenues. Still, there’s ample proof that the salary structure still isn’t fixed in the NHL and that, going forward, the NHL needs to find a system where economic parity can exist. The current system is still better than the previous one, but it’s still dangerously flawed.<br /><br />Coming Soon: Part 2- Where Do We Go From Here?<br /><br />-DG<br /></span>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-53780554784118584492010-05-27T00:07:00.000-07:002010-05-27T00:17:24.051-07:00Into The Crystal Ball: 2010 Stanley Cup Final Edition<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><p><a href="http://view.picapp.com/default.aspx?term=Blackhawks Flyers&iid=8242420" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/5/4/d/a/Chicago_Blackhawks_v_7196.jpg?adImageId=13003481&imageId=8242420" width="400" height="280" border="0" alt="Chicago Blackhawks v Philadelphia Flyers"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js"></script> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s pretty safe to say that, before the playoffs began, this wasn’t the Final anyone was expecting.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">While the Chicago Blackhawks were viewed amongst the Cup favourites and thus their appearance here isn’t all that surprising, the Philadelphia Flyers being here is a shocker. Here was a team that had underperformed all season, getting into the playoffs on the final day where they barely escaped Madison Square Garden with a shootout win (one helped by the fact the New York Rangers inexplicably didn’t go with Marian Gaborik in the shootout) and reduced to journeyman goaltender Brian Boucher as their starting goaltender, with regular starter Ray Emery out and regular backup Michael Leighton out as well. Then, as the playoffs went on, the Flyers found themselves in a 0-3 hole against the Boston Bruins in the second round, barely needing overtime to get out of Game 4 alive. To make matters worse, Boucher would go down in Game 5 with the Flyers holding to a lead, though, fortunately for them Leighton had just came back that night to be the backup. Philadelphia somehow won to force Game 7, only to fall behind 3-0 early in that game. That could have been the straw that broke the Flyers’ back, but instead Philadelphia scored four unanswered goals- including one on a power play induced by a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty- and to improbably take Game 7 and the series. Philadelphia rode that momentum to a five-game victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the Conference Final to set up their first Finals appearance since 1997.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Unimaginable” doesn’t begin to cover the extraordinariness of the Flyers’ run. “Inconceivable” is more like it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yet, here they are, four wins away from their first Stanley Cup since 1975. It’s stories like these that draw me to the sport I love.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, for their part, the Blackhawks have a chance to write a little history of their own. Chicago hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1961- a full six years before the Flyers were even born- and faced well over a decade of futility and irrelevance under the contemptuous ownership of “Dollar” Bill Wirtz. Before Chicago made the playoffs in 2009, the Blackhawks endured a period of ten seasons from 1997-98 to 2007-08 where they made just one playoff appearance and won only a single game (2002 against the St. Louis Blues), a stretch the team hadn’t been on since the early days of the Original Six. During this period, Wirtz alienated fans and ‘Hawks legends alike, forbidding the broadcast of Blackhawk home games and refusing to spend any money to retain talent or pursue free agents. It was a period of hopelessness that would be unbecoming for any franchise, let alone one with the proud history of the Blackhawks, leaving many wondering in the Windy City blew away the team’s allure and ability to win. Then- for the lack of a better explanation- Bill Wirtz died, his son, Rocky, took over, embraced the fans and the legends, ended the blackout, opened the chequebook and suddenly the franchise is alive again. So here too, “inconceivable” is an apt description of the Blackhawks’ run given their medium-term history, because no one would have believed this team would have gotten here in the depths of their despair just a few short seasons ago.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, with as many as seven or as little as (but hopefully not, unless you’re a fan of either team) four games to go in the NHL season, it’s time to break out the Crystal Ball™ and see which Cinderella gets a chance to dance at the ball.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">(W2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (E7) Philadelphia Flyers<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">How They Got Here:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Chicago:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Defeated #7 Nashville Predators 4-2</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Defeated #3 Vancouver Canucks 4-2</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Defeated #1 San Jose 4-0</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Philadelphia<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Defeated #2 New Jersey Devils 4-1</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Defeated #6 Boston Bruins 4-3</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Defeated #8 Montreal Canadiens 4-1</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Key Players:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Chicago:<o:p></o:p></b></p> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 271pt; margin-left: 4.7pt; border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="361"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SKATERS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GP<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">G<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">A<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">PTS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">+/-<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">PIM<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">ATOI<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Jonathan Toews, C <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">19<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">26<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">20:49<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Patrick Kane, RW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">13<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">20<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">19:10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Patrick Sharp, C <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17:53<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Marian Hossa, RW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">21<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17:56<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Duncan Keith, D <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">27:52<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Dustin Byfuglien, RW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">-3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">15:38<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Dave Bolland, C <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">26<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">18:29<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Brent Seabrook, D <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">23:49<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Kris Versteeg, RW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16:42<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"></td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"></td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"></td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"></td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"></td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"></td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"></td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GOALTENDERS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GP <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">W <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">L <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GAA <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SV <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SV% <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SO <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Antti Niemi <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2.33<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">430<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">0.921<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Philadelphia<o:p></o:p></b></p> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 271pt; margin-left: 4.7pt; border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="361"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SKATERS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GP<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">G<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">A<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">PTS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">+/-<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">PIM<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">ATOI<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Mike Richards, C <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">15<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">21<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">14<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">21:45<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Danny Briere, C <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">18<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">16<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">19:17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Claude Giroux, RW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">18:56<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Chris Pronger, D <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">14<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">18<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">28:48<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Ville Leino, LW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">13<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">15:43<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Simon Gagne, LW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">13<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">0<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17:49<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Matt Carle, D <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">0<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">25:26<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Scott Hartnell, LW <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">0<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">15<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">15:37<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Kimmo Timonen, D <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">17<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">0<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">18<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">26:35<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"></td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"></td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"></td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"></td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"></td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"></td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"></td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GOALTENDERS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GP <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">W <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">L <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">GAA <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SV <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SV% <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">SO<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Michael Leighton <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1.45<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">199<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">0.948<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 107pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="143"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Brian Boucher <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 20pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="27"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 17pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="23"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 16pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="21"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 28pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="37"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2.33<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="28"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">249<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 32pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="43"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">0.915<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <br><br><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">THE MODUS OPERANDI<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Chicago:</b> The Blackhawks are here due in no small part to their superior team speed. You’re all aware of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, but others such as Dave Bolland, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg buzz with such a frequency that opponents can’t handle them regardless of where they are on the ice, because they’re always creating fearsome scoring chances or snuffing out your own with relentless pressure. The speed is so alluring that it draws you into that game, and takes you away from your own, meaning you have to be able to skate with them to have any chance of winning. Furthermore, the presence of elite puck mover Duncan Keith keeps the tempo up all game long, so don’t expect any relief; and don’t expect to get under their skin because they have the likes of Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager who are more than capable of throwing their weight around too. The power play also clicks with ease due to the traffic Byfuglien’s size creates, as well as Byfuglien’s ability to shoot well in tight. Chicago is still a little small along the blueline, so, naturally, the Blackhawks look to avoid getting stuck along the boards and fortunately they’re mobile enough to stay away from that game. Finally, Antti Niemi seems to have resolved all the questions surrounding his goaltending ability, being able to bounce back from difficult games and- while he hasn’t been spectacular- be at least good enough so that any lead Chicago takes will hold up, which is the least he can do.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Philadelphia:</b> You can’t start any discussion about the Flyers without bringing up Mike Richards. Is there a better player in the NHL right now? The answer is an emphatic “no”. Quite simply he does it all- he hits, he scores, he dangles, he passes, he defends and he leads at such a high level that no one could dare keep up. He’s already drawing comparisons with Flyer legend Bobby Clarke- and with good reason- and if he ever lets his hair grow into curls and loses his front teeth, there really would be no differentiating the two (aside from their age, of course). Philadelphia is glad to have him, and they’re also glad he doesn’t *have* to shoulder the load. Right behind Richards on the scoresheet are the rejuvenated Daniel Briere (finally living up to his lofty contract), the returning Jeff Carter, the blossoming Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne and Villie Leino, the latter coming out of nowhere after the Detroit Red Wings essentially traded him for a bag of pucks (sorry Ole-Kristian Tollefson, but perhaps if you weren’t a Grand Rapids Griffin right now I might not have gone there). On the backend, the Flyers can boast an adroit group with twin anchors Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen (a big reason why the Flyers’ defence ranks as the best in these playoffs), as well as capable supporters in Matt Carle and Braydon Coburn. Let’s also not forget the yeoman work that the likes of Scott Hartnell and Ian Laperierre bring to this group, bringing a tenacity to this group that allows them to get the job done no matter how daunting. Simply put, this is still the Flyer team you’ve grown to love (or hate, depending on your persuasion)- they’ll hit, they’ll fight and get under your skin, but don’t think they don’t have speed or ability, because they’ve got plenty of that as well. Then there’s Leighton, the journeyman goaltender who provides hope to the Adam Berkhoels of the world that with just enough perseverance anything can happen; and what a rock Leighton has been, posting a microscopic 1.45 GAA in these playoffs. If you want to talk about “rejuvenated”, you have your model right here.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">HOW THEY WIN<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Chicago:</b> Their speed killed during the playoffs and it’ll have to kill again. Although the Flyers are more than capable of playing that game as well, the Blackhawks need to be able to dictate the pace of the game if they are to succeed in this series. That means creating quick offence off the rush and holding on to the puck, so the faceoff prowess of Toews needs to continue. Also key to their success would be the re-emergence of Marian Hossa, whose size would be instrumental in taking on the Flyer big men (especially Pronger) and creating space for the smaller forwards; but so far Hossa (who just has two goals) hasn’t been the factor he needs to be. Byfuglien also needs to win the battle in front of the net for the power play to be effective, which won’t be easy with Pronger patrolling the area. Niemi will need to be stellar, because this Flyer team will create a lot of chances so he’ll have to work harder than he had before at preserving whatever lead the Blackhawks get (if Chicago is capable of getting one, that is). Above all else, though, is that Chicago needs to ensure they can mitigate the pounding their defencemen will receive from the Flyer forecheckers. This means that Brian Campbell has to emerge as a force for the first time in his career to provide relief for Keith in the puck moving department, while Brent Sopel and Niklas Hjalmarsson have to be effective defensively so Brent Seabrook doesn’t get overused. If the Blackhawks are forced to use Byfuglien on the backend that will drastically reduce the size of the Chicago front end, and play right into the Flyers’ hands, so it is absolutely vital that the current Blackhawk defenders do their jobs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Philadelphia:</b> Pound the Blackhawks. Chicago has been fortunate that they have yet to face a forward corps as physical and as tenacious as the Flyer group (Joe Thornton and the Sharks could take notes here), so the Flyers will need to work them and tire them out, since it will drastically slow down Chicago’s ability to play the speed game they want to play. The Flyers have the speed and skill to keep up with the Blackhawks, so using their clear size advantage is instrumental in shifting the series in their favour. Pronger will also need to win the battle in front of the net against Byfuglien, with Gagne and Carter needed to win the net battle on their end of the ice. Leighton also needs to be stellar because the Blackhawk forwards will barrage him with shots so he’ll need to be on top of his game for the Flyers to have any chance. Lastly, the Flyers need to continue being effective without the puck, meaning the yeoman work of Laperierre and the emerging Darroll Powe has to continue. Chicago’s game is puck possession, so playing with the proper positioning is the best way to counter it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">WHO WILL WIN<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are compelling cases to be made for both teams, but if I had to choose, the stronger one is Philadelphia’s. Size always triumphs over skill in the playoffs (see Anaheim Ducks, 2007 Stanley Cup Champions) and you don’t get the mixture of speed, size and skill that the Flyers possess very often. Chicago is simply too small on the backend to be effective against a Flyer forecheck that will pound them for the first time this playoffs, and the size at the top end of the forward corps is lacking. Sure, the Blackhawks have Eager, Adam Burish, Andrew Ladd and Troy Brouwer to mix things up, but that only goes so far when you have Richards, Carter and Gagne to contend with, and those guys can score whereas the Chicago bunch cannot. The Blackhawks won’t be swept like they were in 1992, but they’ll have to wait a little bit longer to parade the Great Mug down Michigan Avenue.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Flyers 4, Blackhawks 2</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-74125198678652421532010-05-25T00:29:00.000-07:002010-05-25T00:35:38.202-07:00It’s time to rethink the NHL playoffs<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1561943552; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-708011318 269025281 269025283 269025285 269025281 269025283 269025285 269025281 269025283 269025285;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0cm;} ul {margin-bottom:0cm;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--><p> <a href="http://view.picapp.com/default.aspx?term=Blackhawks Sharks&iid=8893681" target="_blank"><img src="http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/a/2/e/7/San_Jose_Sharks_3fc4.jpg?adImageId=12978818&imageId=8893681" width="400" height="349" border="0" alt="San Jose Sharks v Chicago Blackhawks - Game Four"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/PicAppPIS/JavaScript/PisV4.js"></script> <p class="MsoNormal">12:12 may live in infamy for a long time for San Jose Sharks fans.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At that precise moment in the third period, Dany Heatley- #15- took a borderline slashing penalty that gave the Chicago Blackhawks- already in the ascendancy after scoring twice in the second period to erase a 2-0 San Jose advantage- a power play. The Blackhawks would score on the power play on a goal by The Great Immovable Object, Dustin Byfuglien, to gain the lead for good. Kris Versteeg would add an empty-netter to complete the 4-2 Chicago win, a victory that sends the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1992 (when Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were preschoolers) and a chance for their first Stanley Cup since 1961 (when coach Joel Quenneville was a preschooler).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">All that drama would be well and good if it didn’t obscure the fact it completed a four game sweep, meaning that although that controversial moment was the series-decider, the Sharks’ loss can be attributed to a lot more than just that moment. This is a series where the big, slow Sharks proved the adage that in the “new” NHL, speed always wins over brawn, especially when you’ve got brawn of your own. The fact that Chicago won perhaps isn’t surprising- this one could have gone either way, especially if the Sharks had even tried their cycle game- but the fact that this series went only four games is. Even if San Jose wasn’t going to ultimately win the series, they should have given Chicago a fight after the Sharks’ own demolition of the Detroit Red Wings in Round 2, meaning that the sweep provided a disappointing end to what should have been a classic series.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes it’s time to write the “Here Go The San Jose Chokers Again” articles and evaluations about just what went wrong in the series; and yes it’s time to speculate on the future of Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov (both unrestricted free agents). However, coupled with the Philadelphia Flyers’ 4-1 series win over the Montreal Canadiens, the sweep continues what is becoming a disturbing historical trend in the NHL, and that’s the fact that every year we see one (if not both) Conference Finals come up lame. The series results this year mean that for a second consecutive year we’ve seen a total of nine games in the Conference Finals, after the Pittsburgh Penguins swept the Carolina Hurricanes (remember them?) and the Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks in five (with Chicago, eerily enough, winning only in Game 3).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Granted, one could surmise that this is a two-year fluke, but the numbers tell a far different story. Below is the total amount of games in each Conference Final since 1987, the year the NHL instituted the best-of-seven format throughout the entire playoffs, up to last year’s playoffs:</p> <div align="center"> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 9cm; border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="340"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"></td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">East<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">West<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Total<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1987<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1988<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1989<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1990<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1991<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1992<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1993<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1994<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1995<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1996<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">13<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1997<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1998<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">1999<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2000<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">14<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2001<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2002<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">13<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2003<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2004<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">13<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2006<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">7<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">12<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2007<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2008<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">6<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2009<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2010<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">4<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">9<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Conf. Avg<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5.70<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5.57<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">11.26<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2006-10<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5.00<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5.40<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">10.40<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">2006-10 Avg<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5.2<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"></td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="100"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Average<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 24pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="32"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">5.63<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 30pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="40"></td> <td style="width: 29pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" nowrap="nowrap" valign="bottom" width="39"></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <br><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style=""> </span>(Table Notes: “Conf. Avg”=“Conference Final Average”)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><br> <p class="MsoNormal">The numbers in bold indicate the times where a Conference Final has gone at least six games, typically the standard for a “well-contested series”. As you can see in the table, there have only been five instances in the 23 post-seasons of the best-of-seven format where both Conference Finals have at least gone six games- 1996, 1998, 2000 (the only time both Conference Finals have gone seven), 2002 and 2004. Furthermore the numbers since the lockout are even more staggering, with the last Conference Final series to go seven occurring in 2006, when the Hurricanes defeated the Buffalo Sabres, and an average series length just over five games. Lastly, the overall average series length during the 1987-2010 period is less than six games, with the more troubling trend that the Western series are shorter than the Eastern series. If we add the 2010 totals, we get this:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you’re a NHL official, you should be troubled by these numbers. No, make that “alarmed”. You see, it’s one thing if the first round- or even the second round- features a lot of short series because those series typically feature one team that’s overmatched. However, at the Conference Final, you shouldn’t be seeing short series this often. Although it’s not “the pinnacle” like the Stanley Cup Final is, the Conference Finals should still be a showcase. This is the moment where the playoffs should be heating up, because by this point you have four, battle-tested teams who have (presumably) proven their ability to win in the playoffs and thus shouldn’t be pushovers. Playoff ratings should be rising as the excitement builds, especially in the cities where the team is doing well because, in those towns, there’s a real belief that their team could win the Cup. It’s a real letdown that every year one- or even two- of those teams look more like pretenders than contenders. Thus, at this moment we should be guaranteed a six-game set (at least) in both Conference Finals, because that at least means the winners were challenged. Obviously, we can’t expect to happen every year, but a five-game stinker or a four-game sweep should be the exception not the rule, as it appears to be currently.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This can only mean one thing and that’s to rethink how the NHL conducts its playoffs. Although the best of seven series has a long history in the NHL (it was introduced in 1939), it’s clear it has outlived its usefulness as the sole determinant of playoff victors. I’ve never been a fan of the best-of-seven format anyway, because, as pure entertainment it gets a bit tedious. I mean, unless you’re a fan of any of the teams in a series, you’re never cheering for it to go four, five or even six games- you want to see Game 7. Yeah, the ride to seven games is usually fun, and from a competitive standpoint the better team is more likely to win with more chances to win, but the first six games of a series ultimately winds up feeling like a movie that’s gone on for too long and you’re sitting there waiting for its conclusion. Or as Tony Kornheiser once put it on an episode of <i style="">Pardon The Interruption</i> (discussing a series that was destined to go seven), “get to the point!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, I didn’t write this with an eye to attack the best-of-seven’s entertainment value (though it is a tangential issue). The real point is that the best of seven appears to have the unintended consequence of making the playoff journey too long for too many of its teams. Yes, there may be other reasons why a team who makes a Conference Final look like a deer in the headlights, but those explanations (e.g. “they were overmatched”, “they didn’t realize just how much work the playoffs are”) would be great explanations if they were one-off deals, but the fact of the matter is we see it almost all the time. The most common comment at this time of year is that the losing team “ran out of gas” (it’s one the Canadiens are sure to hear after bowing meekly to the Flyers following two straight seven game sets), and the frequency of this occurrence is troubling. You want your contenders to appear like, well, <i style="">contenders</i> and they’re not doing that if they’re bowing meekly at the Conference Final stage.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, with the just completed Memorial Cup out of the way, I began spinning my wheels about how we can best alter the NHL tournament, and this is what I came up with:</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Go back to the divisional format for the playoffs. This was one tradition that had been scrapped which was actually useful, because the divisions each had their own character and it actually meant something to win your division (furthermore, placing importance in the division instead of a conference shortens the amount of teams and players the fan has to pay attention to, which makes it easier for a newcomer to “get into” the sport).</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Instead of the top four teams making the playoffs in each division, it’s the top three, with the division champ receiving a bye to the second round. The first round series can be a best-of-three series so the first place team isn’t waiting too long for its opponent.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">The second round will retain the “best-of-seven” format, which will be used to determine each of the divisional champions.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Once we determine the divisional champions, we’d have them all play a six-team round robin tournament- held at a neutral site- to eventually determine the Stanley Cup champion.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">This round robin tournament wouldn’t have the traditional “four teams make the ‘playoffs’” format that is normally used for six teams. In this format, the sixth placed team after the ‘regular’ part of the tournament is eliminated entirely, while fifth would play fourth. The winner of that game would play third, with the winner of that game playing second and the winner of that game playing first place for the Stanley Cup.</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, this format would dramatically reduce the amount of playoff games (and subsequent playoff revenue) but this would be offset by the excitement- and the decisiveness- such a tournament would bring. Just like the Olympics, every game would be a war with so much literally riding on the result. The ride would be intense, quick and riveting, giving the fans that dramatic rush that comes with the quick ups and downs a tournament like this would bring. In a pounding flash the Stanley Cup Tournament would be over, and what’s left is either intense ecstasy or a crushing defeat. Makes you want to take part, does it not? If it doesn’t, just think about the most successful tournaments in sports- soccer’s World Cup and college basketball’s March Madness. Why are they successful? Because those tournaments don’t take <s>years</s> months to conclude, providing a result that’s incisive, decisive and quick. They don’t need the dull, slow dance of a seven game set to reach the climax- they get to it, and get to it quickly; and, like anything in sports, we all want a quick conclusion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Oh, I guess I forgot to mention just how much <i style="">money</i> could be made on a tournament like this...but you should have figured that out once you realized how exciting this tournament would be)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of the money, the loss of playoff games can be offset by sharing the revenues the Stanley Cup Tournament would bring, which would likely be a lot more than the present playoffs bring. I’m convinced most of the problems with the dearth of advertising revenue in the Stanley Cup Finals and similar tournaments (like the National Basketball Association Playoffs or Major League Baseball’s Fall Classic) are because their Finals don’t have the decisiveness the Super Bowl brings, and if those Finals became a single-game classic they’d become the events they should be. Plus, four rounds of best-of-seven are redundant. They worked when few teams were in the playoff because it highlighted the matchup between those two teams and that was the only matchup you needed to feature. Now, realistically, a team really only defeats four teams on its playoff journey, which isn’t indicative at all about how good they actually are- get a lucky string of matchups and you could get the Cup too. Take last year’s Penguins for instance- they had no offence (outside of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal), an average goalie and a yeoman cast of checkers and defenders that really didn’t strike fear into anyone. Yet they lucked out with four easy series for the Stanley Cup- one team they had beaten before (the Flyers), one absolutely brutal defensive team (the Washington Capitals), one absolutely brutal team (the Hurricanes) and a team they’d played in the Finals the year before, a team that forgot to compete once they established their 3-2 series lead (the Wings). Once they played a team that was competent defensively and competently coached (the Canadiens) they were schooled. I understand this assessment is more of a matter of opinion than conclusive research, but it should highlight that winning in the playoffs really does come down to <i style="">who</i> you play as much as it is to <i style="">how</i> you play- get a bad matchup and your dream is over, which sure isn’t a great way to settle a score. At least with this round robin format the Stanley Cup winner still has to show its superiority over the other teams in the tournament, since they at least play the other teams once (and likely had to beat them to get to where they are).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You could get adventurous and invite the European winner to this tournament (creating a seven team tournament, or you could realign the NHL into five divisions and maintain the six-team format) but that’s a debate for another day. The point today is that the NHL’s concluding hours should be more decisive than it is currently, and it can do that by scrapping the four rounds of best-of-seven tedium and reverting to something more exciting, like the Memorial Cup-style Stanley Cup Tournament. This way the NHL championship is quick and decisive, being guaranteed to be more exciting than the present format is; which, in turn, increases its profitability. The best-of-seven format had a purpose in its heyday when only two teams made the playoffs- now, with 16, it’s outlived its usefulness, creating arbitrary champions that only got there because of their favourable matchups and needlessly extending the season. At least with the round robin the team that wins at least shows a greater sense of dominance because they’ve at least played every other team at least once (and likely had to beat them to get them to where they are); and at the very least we’re left with a Final that’s conclusive and decisive- and quick.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If that’s not enough, then just look at it this way- at least this means our playoffs will be over before June; and that’s something we can all agree on.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27176938.post-80877227539800482010-05-21T23:21:00.000-07:002010-08-04T00:11:44.416-07:00Let’s end the World Championship farce and have a real world tournament<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center">“To be or not to be– that is the question:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center">Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center">The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center">Or to take arms against a sea of troubles</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center">And, by opposing, end them.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">-William Shakespeare, “<i style="">Hamlet</i>” (1600)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps The Bard wasn’t writing those famous words to Sidney Crosby, but this May, Crosby could sure relate to them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Caught in “the slings and arrows” of one Szymon Szemberg as a result of Crosby’s “outrageous fortune”, Crosby became a focal point on an wrote an article Wednesday (since taken down) on the International Ice Hockey Federation’s website entitled “Saying No To Your Country”. There, Szemberg- the IIHF director of communications- took aim at all the players who declined the invitation to the World Championships being held right now in Germany. The article chided the players not participating, insisting they had forgotten who had “raised” them (their national associations) from the depths of amateur hockey to the fame they now enjoy. To further his argument, Szemberg employed the “straw man” tactic, responding to (misrepresentations of) common player reasons for not participating, such as “I am tired” or “I promised to fold napkins at my cousin’s wedding”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“How can a player who is 22 or 25 or 27, and who was just eliminated from the playoffs be tired? Tired is a miner who works in a damp pit in Miktivka, in the Donetsk Plateau in Ukraine, who never sees daylight and who provides living for a family of five in a modest two-room apartment. That is tired,” wrote Szemberg in one part of the piece, continuing, “tired is a divorced mother with two young kids who double shifts as a nurse assistant and cleaning lady to make ends meet.” He then takes aim at several National Hockey League players, including the stars of the Detroit Red Wings (Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Thomas Holmström, and Johan Franzén), Crosby (whom Szemberg wondered why he, at 22, couldn’t go but Ryan Smyth, 34, could), Washington Capital Nicklas Backstrom (citing Backstrom’s new $6.7 million a year contract extension) and New York Islander Mark Streit (who Szemberg is really pointed about, wondering how Streit could be “tired” after playing his last NHL game on April 11). Szemberg relates all this to the Russian NHL players who did decide to participate, such as Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk, and wondered how they weren’t “tired enough” to come to Germany while their teammates were. Szemberg then ended his article with quotes from Mikhail Grabovski (the Toronto Maple Leafs and Belarus forward who did come to Germany) about how much he enjoys playing in the tournament because he “loves hockey” and New York Rangers scout Anders Hedberg, who echoed Szemberg’s statement in that the players “wouldn’t be where they are without the federations”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">To be fair, Szemberg didn’t just take aim at NHL players, putting players such as Beat Forster (Switzerland) and Johan Davidsson (Sweden) in his crosshairs, but it was the NHLers whom Szemberg spilt the most ink for. As soon as the article itself was written, figures such as U.S. and Leafs General Manager Brian Burke, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Canada’s national team director Scott Salmond all fired rebukes of Szemberg, with Burke’s hitting the hardest. Never afraid to really state what’s on his mind, Burke continued his tradition of fine one-liners in labelling Szemberg a “paid flunky”. The IIHF, for their part, officially distanced themselves from the article and apologized for the remarks to Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, though Szemberg himself has yet to actually comment on the matter.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In terms of a regular article, it’s a very fair opinion. I personally don’t agree entirely with the opinion but I can see his side of the argument, because it is a concern that these national federations do so much for the players only for so few of them to participate for those nations at the World Championships. Still, this article is completely counterproductive for the IIHF, as this was an unequivocal PR disaster. It would be one thing if Szemberg wrote the piece on a personal blog or uttered the remarks after a spell at a Berlin pub, because then it could at least be said he’s not working in his official capacity for the IIHF and thus should be entitled to his opinion. However, he wrote this article while serving as an employee of the IIHF, an organization whose best interests are served by attracting top players to its tournaments, and it won’t do that by alienating its star attractions (yeah, Crosby needs thicker skin, but I don’t think you’d want to be part of an organization that openly and damagingly attacks your character). It can do that by making the World Championships relevant.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You see, while most players won’t admit it exactly, the reason why they’re not at the tournament is because they see no point in showing up. They won’t freely admit it because to do so essentially brands them as unpatriotic, but I don’t think there’s anyone in the hockey world who thinks competing in the WCs would be a great idea. The only reason why I’d want to go, if I were a player, would be if I had “something to prove” (for example, players like Jaromir Jagr or Zigmund Palffy could use the WCs as proof they can still play at a high level, or a player like Alexander Steen- who inexplicably didn’t show up- use it to bolster a case for a new deal), or to use it as a springboard to the “official” national team at the Olympics, like perhaps Steven Stamkos and Matt Duchene are doing (and perhaps how Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook got on the Canadian team). Otherwise, what’s the point? Take a guy like Crosby or Zetterberg and think about their cases- their places on their Olympic teams are assured, their places on their teams are assured and they’d gain zero notoriety if they won a WC gold medal, as the Stanley Cup is what they’re after. They’d earned the right to take the tournament off, if you ask me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">How do we go about making the WC’s relevant then? I think the first step is to eliminate it entirely. We already have a “world championships” in hockey and that’s the Olympics, it’s redundant to have another one. Sure the “Triple Gold Club” would need amending (more on that later), but other than that, I don’t really think most of us would miss the WC’s if they were gone. Besides, everyone can name all four winners of the Olympic tournament since the NHLers started to take part- can anyone name the defending WC champion?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(No looking it up on Wikipedia or Google now)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Time’s up...it’s Russia. It’d be their third title in a row if they won it this year)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">To replace the WC’s, I think we need to have a “continental tournament” (which is where we amend the “Triple Gold Club” to members who have won their regional tournament, the Stanley Cup and the Olympic Gold Medal). It’s here where I take a page out of soccer, which stages its own hugely successful world tournament (the World Cup...you may have heard of it) alongside highly profitable regional tournaments. The most successful of those is the European championship (the “Euro” tournament that’s really called the “Union of European Football Association (UEFA) European Football Championship”), which is held in the even numbered years when there isn’t a World Cup. The other regions don’t follow this same format, but I think in hockey we can follow the “every other year” format.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, developing this kind of tournament presents some challenges. First of all, the IIHF is home to 68 member nations, 43 of which are in Europe. Conversely, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), soccer’s governing body, has 208 members, 53 of which belong to UEFA. Second of all, the quality of play across the FIFA regional associations is roughly equal, meaning each region can have a competitive regional tournament. In hockey, the only region with any real depth is Europe, so while we could be guaranteed an entertaining European tournament, there’d be hardly any justification- or even the numbers- to create other regional tournaments (for example, North America only has three teams- Canada, the U.S. and- believe it or not- Mexico). However, if we play with the positioning a little bit, there is a possibility to create two “regions” of relatively competitive play. I’d split them up as follows:</p> <div align="center"> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="width: 8cm; border-collapse: collapse;" width="302" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Europe Region<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> </td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">World Region<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Austria<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Argentina<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Belarus<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Australia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Czech Republic<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Brazil<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Denmark<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Canada<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Finland<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Chile<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">France<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">China<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Germany<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Chinese Taipei<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Great Britain<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Estonia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Italy<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Hong Kong<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Norway<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">India<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Poland<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Japan<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Slovakia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Kazakhstan<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Slovenia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Kuwait<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Sweden<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Latvia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Switzerland<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Lithuania<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Andorra<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Macau<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Armenia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Malaysia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Azerbaijan<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Mexico<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Belgium<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Mongolia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Bosnia-Herzegovina<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Namibia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Bulgaria<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">New Zealand<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Croatia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">North Korea<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Georgia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Russia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Greece<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Singapore<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Hungary<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">South Africa<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Iceland<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">South Korea<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Ireland<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Thailand<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Israel<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Ukraine<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Liechtenstein<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">United Arab Emirates<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Luxembourg<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td colspan="2" style="width: 97.2pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="130" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">United States<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Macedonia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Moldova<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td colspan="2" style="width: 96pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="128" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Netherlands<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Portugal<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Romania<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Serbia<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Spain<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Turkey<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"></td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;"> <td style="width: 74.05pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="99" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b style=""><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Total<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b style=""><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">38<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 75.45pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="101" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b style=""><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">Total<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> <td style="width: 21.75pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; height: 15pt;" valign="bottom" width="29" nowrap="nowrap"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right; line-height: normal;" align="right"><b style=""><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: white;">30<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Europe” should be fairly straightforward, but the “World” region needs some explanation. It is essentially every hockey playing nation that isn’t in Europe or wasn’t once a member of the former Soviet Union. This means that nations like Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and the Ukraine are placed in the “World” group instead of the European group (where one could reasonably expect them), and I did this to “balance the scales”. See, if I followed a simple split of Europe and the rest of the world, what I’d be left with is a region with four “superpowers” (Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic), several “mid-major” powers and the rest, while the other region would essentially see Canada and the U.S. duke it out for the title with, arguably, only two other countries that could realistically be competitive (Kazakhstan, Japan (who gave us Yutaka Fukufuji) and South Korea, (who has sent players like Jim Paek and Richard Park to the NHL in recent memory)). If we at least combine it along the lines of “North America + Former USSR” you at least get some depth, because then Canada and the U.S. receive a legitimate rival (Russia) and a handful of competitive nations (Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Japan and South Korea). It’s still not as deep as the European tournament would be, but at least we’d be guaranteed with a tournament that won’t be filled with blowouts, which is important for the development of the tournament.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other part of this would be to have a “visible” qualifying tournament for both the Olympics and the regional championships, just like they do in soccer. In soccer, each national team is required to embark on odysseys of around a dozen games played in the two years prior to the World Cup. The European regional tournament has the same qualification requirement, meaning that the European teams essentially play at least five times during the season; and these are not silly little friendlies but important games. The increase in games increases the visibility of these teams, and it would be vital if we are to have meaningful development of the international game. The Olympics are fun, but it’s a bit of a letdown to know that, realistically, we’d have to wait four more years to see Crosby, bandmate Rick Nash, Mike Richards, Jarome Iginla and the rest of the gang in Team Canada colours or Ryan Miller, Joe Pavelski, Ryan Kesler and Team U.S.A. We should be able to see these teams far more often and, besides, the Olympic games are the highest quality hockey out there. Furthermore, the qualification games can serve as important “tune-up” games for the Olympics, allowing the national teams to tinker with the rosters before the games “really” matter (though teams would have to find chemistry in a hurry considering too many losses means they don’t qualify for the major tournament). We could even go a step further and stage actual “international friendlies” (just like soccer), giving teams more of a chance to build a line-up they’re comfortable before the games would actually matter (such as in the qualification tournament). At the end of the day, we need to have more meaningful international contests held, and held at more regular intervals, because that increases the visibility of the competition, the one aspect of the international game that is sorely lacking (outside of the Olympics).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The final thing international hockey needs is a real international club tournament. Above all else, the one thing the Olympics showed me was how close players in “lower leagues” such as the Elitserien or the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) are to regular NHL players, making me think that games between the European clubs and the NHL wouldn’t be as one-sided as people think. In fact, the 2009 Victoria Cup saw an upset of sorts when the Zurich Lions, who feature such luminaries as Ari Sulander and Patrick Baertischi, defeat the Chicago Blackhawks (yes, the same Blackhawks now up 3-0 on the San Jose Sharks in the Conference Finals). It is true that was just a meaningless exhibition game, but it at least shows that European teams aren’t the pushovers that we think they are. Furthermore, by staging a real club competition, it’d give a chance for the best players to be showcased around the world far more often and really cement hockey as the world’s second “global sport”. Finally- and this is open to debate- how many Swedes, Russians, Finns, Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, etc. who could possess NHL skills at a young age choose to give up the sport because they don’t want to move all the way across the Atlantic to a different country? You may scoff at that notion, but it’s a *big* adjustment to make (one that I doubt many of us would make if given the chance to stay home), and if I was a player and faced with that predicament, I might just take up soccer because at least it gives me the opportunity to stay home more often. By giving the European nations an equal shot at the global championship, it means that prospects in those nations don’t have to “give up the game” because they can now compete at a high level at home. I recognize this means removing the NHL’s exclusivity on the Stanley Cup which is probably not going to happen, but I hope I can make this idea intriguing enough for NHL people to at least consider the idea.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I know a lot of my suggestions would require a restructuring of the NHL year and that makes them less palatable. However, if the NHL- and the IIHF- is serious about growing the international game, they should be series about reorganizing their competitions to make the international game more successful, because it would benefit both immensely if it would. Simply put, the international competitions have to be more meaningful and held more often, because that increases the visibility of that aspect of the game. I’m positive none of the players are refusing to play in the WC’s because they don’t like their country- they’re refusing to play because the WC’s are essentially meaningless. Having a complimentary “regional tournament” gives the players another meaningful international competition on top of the Olympics. Getting that set up should be the first step.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the very least the IIHF has to get rid of its tired WC tournament and its whiny communications director. Because snippy articles like this won’t grow the game but limit it, since this article won’t inspire players to play for an organization that has openly declared their contempt for them. How is that for being counterproductive.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">-DG</p>Vicendumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02229306761329852025noreply@blogger.com1