Monday, November 29, 2010

Week 7 Power Poll

Late this past week a story broke in the Ontario Hockey League where the OHL was going to stop staged fights between players of rival teams.

The new rule reads,
“If two or more players should enter into a fight, prior to, or at the drop of the puck at the commencement of any period of a game, then such player(s) shall be assessed an automatic game misconduct in addition to any penalties assessed, the OHL Member Team shall be fined $500.00 and the player(s) suspended for one (1) game. For any subsequent offense by the same team, the fine shall increase in $500.00 increments, and for any subsequent offense by the same player, the minimum suspension would double from the previous occurrence.”
 
A friend of mine brought this to my attention and asked me what I thought of it. At this point I'm not sure how I feel about it. I have heard rumors that some fights are staged between players but to my knowledge I haven't seen any. That doesn't mean it hasn't occurred.
 
The main thing to keep an eye on is how the OHL enforces rule and how it may carry over to the NHL. Fighting is a part of hockey. I'm curious how they are going to prove some fights are staged.
 
Here is the Power Poll for Week 7.
 
1. (1) Washington                  17              6             2              36
Has won three games in a row since being shutout last week vs. New Jersey. 

2. (3) Philadelphia                15              6              4              34
Not sure if they are the Best team in the East but they looked good against Minnesota on 
Wednesday.

3. (2) Detroit                      15              4              2              32 
Home & Home sweep of Columbus keeps Detroit on top in the West. 

4. (9) Pittsburgh                 15              8              2              32 
Right now the Penguins are the biggest threat to Philly in the Atlantic Division 

5. (4) Montreal                   15              8              1              31
Tomas Plekanec is leading the Canadiens offense with 23 points (8G, 15 A) 

6. (8) Tampa Bay                13              8              3              29
6-0 loss to Washington shows how far the Lightning have to go to be in the class of the Capitals. 

7. (14) N.Y. Rangers            14             10              1            29
Three division games this week for the Blueshirts

8. (11) Chicago                     13             11              2            28 
Went 4-2 on their circus road trip 

9. (12) Columbus                    14              8             0            28 
Not sure how I feel about their 3rd jersey but I like the fact this team is competitive. 

10. (13) Vancouver                12              7              3            27
7-0-1 on the season with Jeff Tambellini in the lineup

11. (6) St. Louis                     12              7              3            27 
Brad Boyes (5G, 8A) is starting to regain his scoring touch. 

12. (19) Atlanta                       12              9              3            27
Ondrej Pavelic & Dustin Byfuglien join Sidney Crosby as the three stars of the week.

13. (16) Phoenix                      11              6             5            27
Coyotes are starting to play like last year's squad instead of previous seasons.

14. (7) Colorado                      13              9             1            27
Beat Minnesota on Saturday but lost Chris Stewart with a broken hand. 

15. (21) Dallas                       13              8             1            27 
Kari Lehtonen has a GAA of 2.70 in 22 games for the Stars. 

16. (5) Los Angeles                 13              9            0            26 
Has lost six of seven since starting November 4-0. 

17. (10) Boston                       12              8             2            26
1st meeting with Philadelphia this Wednesday since 3-0 collapse in last season's playoffs.

18. (17) San Jose                      11              7           4          26 
in 4th place in Pacific but in position to take control of division. 

19. (15) Anaheim                     11             11            3           25
6-4 win over Phoenix ends six game winless streak for Anaheim. 

20. (18) Minnesota                    11              9             2          24
If they could only play better in the 2nd period. 

21. Carolina                          10             10              3            23
Congrats to Paul Maurice on coaching his 1,000th game. 

22. (20) Nashville                     9              8             5            23 
Looked like they had too much turkey against Minnesota on Friday. 

23. (23) Ottawa                       11             12            1           23 
10-0 when leading after two periods, 0-8-1 when trailing after two. 

24. (24) Buffalo                       9             13             3            21 
3rd loss to Montreal is going to make it hard to catch the Canadiens in the Northeast. 

25. (25) Florida                        10             12            0          20
Start a three game trip out west on Wednesday in Anaheim. 

26. (26) Calgary                       9             12             2            20 
The Flames are proving you can't win with Olli Jokinen on your team. 

27. (27) Toronto                         8             11            3          19
Having an inability to find stability at the Center position.

28. (29) New Jersey                      8             14            2        18
Won three out of four games for their best week so far this season. 

29. (28) Edmonton                       6             12           4          16
Taylor Hall has two goals & two assists in his last five games.

30. (30) N.Y. Islanders                  5             12            5         15
Won their 1st game since October 21st with a 2-0 win over New Jersey.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Things I'm Thankful For

If you are taking time to read this column I would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. If you are from Canada I would like to say Happy Thursday.

When people ask me why I like hockey they don't understand what my obsession with the sport is. It's a fair question since I never did learn how to skate or how to play the game. It maybe because of this that my passion is what it is.

Since it is Thanksgiving I thought it would be cool to share some of the things in the NHL I am thankful for. 

1. Sidney Crosby & Alex Ovechkin: I was way too young to watch & appreciate the Gretzky & Lemieux era's. A rivalry between two young superstars is what the NHL needed coming out of the lockout and that is what Crosby & Ovechkin have provided. 

Each player has won a Hart trophy, (Crosby in 07, Ovechkin in 08-09) An Art Ross trophy, (Crosby in 07, Ovechkin in 08)and  A Rocket Richard Trophy (Ovechkin in 08 & 09, Crosby in 10)

Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy in 2006 and Crosby won a Stanley Cup in 2009. They have met once in the Playoffs with the Penguins winning in seven games.

Ovechkin is 25 & Crosby is 23. They have accomplished so much and have yet to hit the peak of their careers. There are a lot of young & talented players that have taken the league by storm but these two are the catalyst. It will be fun to see the rivalry renewed at the Winter classic in Pittsburgh on January 1st. 

2. The Winter Classic: What started out as a marketing gimmick to get some attention for the NHL as turned into one of the must see TV events of the year.

From Pittsburgh & Buffalo playing in a steady snowfall in 2008 to Detroit & Chicago renewing an Original Six rivalry at Wrigley Field in 2009 & Philadelphia & Boston playing at Fenway Park with the Green Monster lurking in the background in 2010 there has been something magical about this event. 

3. The Original Six: Every league has it's founding teams steeped in history & tradition. In the NHL those teams are located in Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston, Chicago & Detroit.

Whenever these teams get together to play each other or come to St. Paul to take on the Wild there is a buzz in the crowd and some mystique in the air that words can't explain.

If you are lucky enough to catch them in person you will experience it for yourself. 

4. The Detroit Red Wings: I put them in a separate category because this is my favorite sports team of all time. I became a fan in 1993 just before the nucleus of players was coming together.

Since that time I have seen them win Four Stanley Cups and make two more appearances in the Finals. I have seen them win the Western Conference six out of eight times they have been in the finals.

I have been able to cheer on Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull, Luc Robatille, Henrik Zetteberg & Pavel Datsyuk as they wear the winged wheel. These players are or will be one day in the Hall of Fame. 

5. The Minnesota Wild: I moved to the Twin Cities in the fall of 1998. It had been five season since the North Stars moved to Dallas from Bloomington.

St. Paul was awarded an expansion franchise a year before I moved to the cities and I was excited to live in an area that had an NHL team. I never in my life dreamed I would have had the opportunities to follow them on a regular basis.

I've helped produce their radio broadcasts for the 1st four seasons and have done some stringer work covering them after the lockout. I have seen more NHL games than any other sport because of the Wild. The opportunities they have given me is something I am truly thankful for. 

6. The Stanley Cup: It is the greatest trophy in all of sports. Now I know people who are bigger fans of other sports will try to state their case that their sports trophy is better than Stanley.

To that I ask them what did the players that won that trophy do with it when they got to spend one day with it and where are their names on the trophy.

It doesn't get cooler than that. It's the hardest trophy to win and when it is won there are no words to describe it.

I have touched the cup three times in my life. Each time has been a cool experience.

Those are some of the things I am thankful for when it comes to hockey. If you have anything you are thankful for in regards to hockey I would love to hear from you.

Thank you for reading & enjoy the hockey

Monday, November 22, 2010

Week 6 Power Poll

The big story this week in the NHL was Steven Stamkos's hat trick against Philadelphia Thursday night. That gave him 19 goals in 19 games. Now people are wondering if he can be the 1st player since Brett Hull to score 50 goals in 50 games. I'm wondering if he will be the 1st player to score 70+ goals since Alexander Mogilny & Teemu Selanne did in 1992-93.

Either way when you debate whether Crosby or Ovechkin is the face of the NHL I think we need to start including Mr. Stamkos in the discussion.

Here is the Power Poll for Week 6: Feel free to leave any comments if you agree or disagree.

1. (1) Washington            14            5            2            30
Still on top despite back-to-back losses this weekend.

2. (4) Detroit                   13              3              2              28 
Bounces back from OT loss to Minnesota with an OT win over Calgary.

3. (3) Philadelphia            13              6              2              28 
Looking for payback tonight against Montreal after being shutout last Tuesday.

4. (5) Montreal                   13              6              1              27 
Expect a hostile reception in Philadelphia tonight.

5. (2) Los Angeles               13             6             0             26 
Has won eight of their last nine games with Johnathan Quick in net.

6. (8) St. Louis                    11              5              3              25 
Andy McDonald, David Backes & Brad Boyes have 21 points in their last five games

7. (19) Colorado                   12              7              1              25
Craig Anderson is back in net for the Avs.

8. (17) Tampa Bay                11              7              2              24 
Stamkos is the face of the franchise, even when Lecavalier returns from injury.

9. (12) Pittsburgh                 11              8              2              24
Still juggling lines by moving Malkin from center to wing

10. (18) Boston                        11              5              2           24
Will have their hands full trying to contain Tampa's offense tonight

11. (9) Chicago                    11             10              2              24 
Bounced back from 7-2 loss to Calgary by beating Vancouver 7-1 the next night.

12. (14) Columbus                 12              6              0              24 
Swept three game road trip in California (3-0) for the 1st time in Franchise history 

13. (6) Vancouver                 10              6              3              23 
Can't lose 7-1 at home to Chicago if they want to be taken seriously as a Stanley Cup contender.

14. N.Y. Rangers             11              9              1              23
Marian Gaborik earned an assist in his return to Minnesota.

15. (7) Anaheim                   10             10              3              23 
Defenseman look more interested in playing offense

16. (13) Phoenix                9              5              5              23 
Have won six games in a row.

17. (15) San Jose                   9              6              4              22
6-3 win against the Kings shows Sharks aren't going to roll over for L.A.

18. (16) Minnesota              10              7              2              22
Need to learn how to play 60 minutes if they want to make the playoffs.

19. (21) Atlanta                  9              9              3              21
Andrew Ladd named as Captain of the team.

20. (20) Nashville                9              6              3              21 
Looking for 3rd straight win against Columbus

21. Dallas                   10              7              1              21
Mike Riberio finally scored his 1st two goals of the season Thursday night

22. (23) Carolina                9              9              2              20 
Patrick O'Sullivan being placed on waivers is the latest chapter in his hard luck life.

23. (11) Ottawa                   9             10              1              19
Busy schedule with four games this week. 

24. (24) Buffalo                  8             11              3              19
Goalie Ryan Miller is nursing a groin injury

25. (25) Florida                9              9              0              18 
Has won four of their last six games

26. (26) Calgary                    8             10              1              17
You know things are bad when the GM trades his own son.

27. Toronto                     7              9              3              17
J.S. Giguere has the same problem as Ryan Miller.

28. (29) Edmonton                5             10              4              14 
Win over Anaheim snaps six game winless streak

29. (28) New Jersey                5             13              2              12 
The league's best team Washington pays a visit to Jersey tonight.

30 (30) N.Y. Islanders            4             12              4              12 
The winless streak is at 13 games

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Wild defeat Ducks in OT 2-1


These are the types of games that the Minnesota Wild need to win if they are to return to the post-season.

Facing a Ducks team that had won six out of eight games in November the Wild were victorious Wednesday night defeating Anaheim 2-1 in overtime.

Once again the Wild got off to a great start out shooting Anaheim 11 to 4 in the 1st period. Anaheim would get on the board first however in the 2nd period when Teemu Selanne scored on the power play to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

That lead would only last 1:38 before the Wild tied it up on a backhand shot by Martin Havlat. It was Havlat's 2nd straight home game with a goal.

Anaheim would out shoot the Wild 16-2 in the 3rd period but were unable to convert any of their chances due to the play of Niklas Backstrom in net.

In the overtime the Wild outshot the Ducks and scored the game winner when Antti Miettinen's initial shot ricocheted off of Ducks goaltender Curtis McElhinney & then off of Miettinen's shoulder into the back of the net.

The goal was reviewed to make sure it was legit but Miettinen wasn't worried that it would be overturned.

"I was pretty sure they were going to allow it right away because I was just skating pretty fast that way," said Miettinen, "So that was the motion that put the puck in, not anything else."

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle thought his club played one of their best games of the season despite the first period but was disappointed to come away with only one point on the night.

"I think it's frustrating for the players. They worked hard and gave us everything they had. We got the game into overtime. We were a little frustrated that we didn't get the extra point from the standpoint we were pretty good in the third period."

It was another game where the Wild got off to a great start but found a way to win despite not finishing strong.

"We're staying in games, but we can't be too fooled by ourselves either," Todd Richards said. "We're finding ways to win, you've got to give the guys credit for that. But we have to be better. We have to be more consistent in our play."

How big of a win was this for the Wild? Going into Wednesday's game they had 18 points and were 10th in the Western Conference even though they had won four of their last six games.

Anaheim had 22 points on the season with 13 of those points coming in the last eight games. This is one of the teams in the West that the Wild are going to have to finish ahead of if they want to make a return to the post-season.

The win moves the Wild to 9-6-2 on the season while the Ducks are now 10-8-3 on the season. 

GAME NOTES : 

Niklas Backstrom had 27 saves in the game and is now 8-4-2 on the season with a 1.90 GAA and a .938 save %

The Game winning goal was Miettinen's 5th of the season and his first career overtime game winner.

It was the first overtime game winner for the Wild since Kyle Brodziak scored against Philadelphia on March 25th of last season.

Marco Scandella picked up his first point in the NHL with an assist on Miettinen's goal. He logged a career high 21:09 ice time during the game.

Martin Havlat now has eight points (2G, 6A) in his last seven games for the Wild. He has 14 points (2G, 12A) which is second on the team.

Minnesota is 6-2-1 in home games this season. On the season the Wild is 2-0-1 against the Pacific Division.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Power Poll: Week 5

Five weeks into the season we already have our first coaching casualty and it happened in the city I thought it would.

Ok so it was the Islanders making a change instead of the Rangers but when you are in the middle of a ten game winless streak something has to change.

Here are the Power Rankings for Week five. As always if you disagree feel free to leave a comment.


1. (2) Washington                  13            4            1            27
Alexander Semin scored eight points (4G, 4A) in four games last week.

2. (1) Los Angeles                  12            3            0            24 
Has won their last six games

3. (4) Philadelphia                  11            4            2            24 
Made a long term commitment to Jeff Carter by giving him an eleven year deal.

4. (6) Detroit                           11            3           1             23
Nicklas Lidstrom has recorded a point in his last eleven games

5. (7) Montreal                       11            5            1             23
Carey Price (.970 save percentage) named 1st star of the week.

6. (5) Vancouver                    10            4            2             22
Looking for 3rd win in a row tonight in Buffalo

7. (18) Anaheim                     10            7            2              22 
Six game winning streak provide big jump in the Power Poll

8. (3) St. Louis                        9              3              3              21 
Like the Flyers did with Carter, the Blues sign David Backes to an extension.

9. (8) Chicago                         9              9              2              20 
Upcoming six game road trip may be what the team needs to turn things around.

10. (15) N.Y. Rangers            9              7              1              19 
4 goals (Gaborik 3, Boogaard 1) by ex-Wild players for NY last week.

11. (16) Ottawa                      9              7              1              19
Has won five of their last six games.

12. (17) Pittsburgh                 9              8              1              19 
Sidney Crosby (3G,5A) named 2nd star of the week.

13. (25) Phoenix                    7              5              5              19
Ray Whitney's hat trick against the Blues is his first three goals as a member of the Coyotes.

14. (11) Columbus                  9        6              0              18
Five of their next seven games are on the road.

15. (21) San Jose                  8          5              2              18 
Key Pacific Division match-up tonight against Los Angeles.

16. (10) Minnesota               8              6              2              18 
Ahead of Tampa this week due to win over the Lightning.

17. (9) Tampa Bay               8              7              2              18 
See above.

18. (13) Boston                    8              5              1              17 
Tim Thomas suffered his first loss of the season Saturday against Ottawa.

19. (14) Colorado                8              7              1              17  
Averaging 3.25 goals per game, 4th highest in the league.

20. (22) Nashville                7              5              3              17 
Got their 1st victory since October with wins over St. Louis & Chicago last week.

21. (19) Atlanta                    7              8              3             17 
Niclas Bergfors (5G, 5A in last 10 games) looking like a steal in the Kovalchuk trade.

22. (12) Dallas                      8             7              0              16 
Outscored 12-3 in last three losses.

23. (20) Carolina                  8              9              0             16 
Lopsided losses (8-1 Philly, 7-2 Montreal) follow lopsided 7-1 win over Edmonton this week.

24. (29) Buffalo                    6              9              3            15 
Look who is quietly two points out of the final playoff spot in the East.

25. (26) Florida                     7            8              0              14 
Two goals in 53 seconds leads to win over Minnesota.

26. (24) Calgary                    7              9              0              14 
How much longer will the Sutter brothers last in Calgary.

27. (23) Toronto                    5              8              3              13
Losing streak is at eight games

28. (30) New Jersey               5             10             2              12
Looking for 2nd straight win tonight in Boston.

29. (27) Edmonton                4              9              3              11 
Add the Oilers to the list of teams that don't like Sean Avery  

30. (28) N.Y. Islanders          4             10             3              11
Here's hoping Jack Capuano will have better luck on the Island than Scott Gordon did. 


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Sabres & Devils: Is It Way Too Early To Panic

"You can't clinch a playoff spot early in the season but you sure can lose one"

I first remember hearing this quote during a Minnesota Wild game back in 2002 against San Jose. The Wild were off to their best start in team history going 8-1-2 while the Sharks went 3-6-1 to start the season after making the playoffs the year before.

I can't remember who said the quote but when I heard it I realized that how you start the season is very important in where you finish the year.

If you have read my Power Polls the last four weeks you will notice two teams have been loitering near the bottom of the standings, New Jersey & Buffalo.Today we will take a look at what is wrong and whether or not they can turn their season around before it is too late.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils are currently 4-10-2 on the season. They have ten points and are currently the worst team in the NHL. There are many reasons for their struggles.

They are currently last in the NHL in Goals scored with 25 on the season. They are last in Power Play Percentage with an average of 6.5. They are 0-7 when trailing after the 1st period and 0-10 when trailing after the 2nd period.

Ilya Kovalchuk has 8 points on the season but is a minus 6 on the ice. Their other big free agent signing Anton Volchenkov has only played in three games due to an injury this season. Last week Zach Parise was lost for three months due to a torn meniscus. Add in the loss of Paul Martin on defense and the Devils struggles shouldn't surprise anyone.

The Devils are ten points behind Philadelphia for 1st in the Atlantic Division and five points out of the final playoff spot. At this point they can forget about repeating as division champs. As for a playoff spot it will take a big turnaround. The way they have played during the first fifteen games I don't see it happening.

Buffalo Sabres

If it wasn't for New Jersey they would be the biggest disappointment in the NHL this season. Actually there still is time for that to happen. They are currently seven points out of 1st place and three points out of the final playoff spot.

The knock against the Sabres last season was they had good goaltending but they couldn't score. So far this season that is still true but what is different is the struggles of 2nd year defenseman Tyler Myers.

Myers has three goals & one assist through 15 games this season but he is a minus 12 on the ice. Last season he was a plus 13.

Teammate Thomas Vanek was expected to provided the scoring for the Sabres this season. He has four goals and three assists but he has been a minus 8 on the ice.

With the struggles of the Sabres a lot has been made about the job status of Head Coach Lindy Ruff. He has been behind the Sabres bench since the 97-98 season.

The best comparison I could come up with when talking about Lindy Ruff is Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans. Both have been with their teams for over 12 years and if either one of them were fired they would have another job right away despite never winning a championship.

The Sabres could make a coaching change but it won't solve the problem. Boston & Montreal have started strong which will make them tough to catch. The Sabres should pass Toronto at some point in the standings and I think they can finish ahead of Ottawa but if they want to make the playoffs the defense has to play better.

Time is running out Devils & Sabres fans, you can both start panicking.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Power Poll: Week 4

Another week another shakeup in the weekly Power Poll. We saw some teams make some big moves while other teams I expected to be better are either bad or stuck in neutral. If you are bad your season is probably over, if you are stuck in neutral then time is running out to get it going.

Here is the weekly poll. Any disagreements feel free to let me know who should be ranked where.

1. (1) Los Angeles    10-3-0    20 points
Ryan Smyth gets a goal in his 1,00th game

2. (5) Washington    10-4-0    20 points
Braden Holtby wins his NHL debut in ending the Flyers win streak

3. (6) St. Louis    9-1-2    20 points
Jaroslav Halak is 8-1-1 in net for the Blues this season

4. (8) Philadelphia    9-4-2    20 points
Had won six in a row before defeat in Washington

5. (21) Vancouver    8-3-2    18 points
3rd line of Raffi Torres, Manny Maholtra & Jannik Hansen has 19 points in last six games

6. (7) Detroit    8-3-1    17 points
2-1 trip through Western Canada last week.

7. (3) Montreal    8-5-1    17 points
Brian Gionta's goal against Ottawa on Saturday was his 1st in eight games

8. (4) Chicago    8-8-1    17 points
They are near the top of the league in points but they have also played a lot of games.

9. (2) Tampa Bay    7-4-2    16 points
Lost all three games in California last week.

10. (22) Minnesota    7-4-2    16 points
Finished 3-1-1 during their last homestand

11. (13) Columbus    8-5-0    16 points
Mathieu Garon (4-1 1.28 GAA) has made his claim for the starting goaltender

12. (14) Dallas    8-5-0    16 points
This might be the biggest surprise so far this season

13. (12) Boston    7-3-1    15 points
Huge division battle with Montreal coming this Wednesday

14. (9) Colorado    7-5-1    15 points
The fate of the season is in the pads of Peter Budaj

15. (18) NY Rangers    7-6-1    15 points
The Rangers have lost 39 total man-games to injuries or illness this season.

16. (24) Ottawa    7-6-1    15 points
Has won five of their last six games

17. (10) Pittsburgh    7-7-1    15 points
Crosby drooped the gloves last week against Dallas.

18. (25) Anaheim    7-7-1    15 points
2nd line is starting to score more frequently

19. (16) Atlanta    6-5-3    15 points
Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager & Andrew Ladd each scored a point against the Blackhawks in Shootout loss on Saturday.

20. (20) Carolina    7-7-0    14 points
Eric Staal two goals help Carolina win the 2nd of a back-to-back against Florida

21. (17) San Jose    6-5-1    13 points
Won't catch Los Angeles the way they are playing

22. (11) Nashville    5-5-3    13 points
in the middle of a five game losing streak

23. (19) Toronto    5-5-3    13 points
3rd from last for goals in the league with 31.

24. (15) Calgary    6-7-2    12 points
three game road trip might be what they need to turn it around

25. (26) Phoenix    4-5-4     12 points
Shane Doan is week to week with a lower body injury.

26. (27) Florida    5-7-0    10 points
David Booth (5G, 5A) is leading the team with 10 points

27. (28) Edmonton    4-6-2    10 points
Nikolai Khabibulin may have had the save of the year against Edmonton.

28. (23) NY Islanders 4-8-2    10 points
John Tavares is a minus nine this season.

29. (29) Buffalo    4-9-2    10 points
Could Lindy Ruff be in trouble as head coach?

30. (30) New Jersey    4-10-1    9 points
Losing Zach Parise for three months due to injury is another dark moment in the season.